Kathmandu, November 1:

200 examinees who had sat for an examination for the post of Assistant Directors of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) complained that irregularities had occured during the examination that has troubled all ‘aspiring and talented’ people who hoped to join NRB.

Examinees, on conditions of anonymity, informed that the examination sat in for by 200 examinees who had earlier passed a written test and appeared at a practical computer examination held at Pulchowk Engineering Institute, was conducted wrongly. Examinees were allowed to use the website of Pulchowk Engineering Institute for sending e-mails. However, sources disclosed that some examinees had also given their computer test out of Engineering Institute as well in the absence of ‘monitoring and controlling’ mechanisms.

Examinees showed serious concerns that, NRB being the central bank of the country, had failed to maintain its standards even for taking examinations for selecting manpower. They questioned that, in such a situation, how would it be productive and be a successful bank, sources said.

Even the computers made available to NRB examinees were found ‘technically wrong’ as e-mail messages sent by some employees were not passed, said the source. What is ironical is that examinees were given verbal instructions in the examination hall after the test started which shows the ad-hoc management that runs the human resource management in central bank. Staff in NRB also agreed that if the management was doing such things for selecting staff, which is a crucial component for bank’s overall reform, it would never be successful or be an efficient and effective central bank.

This will ultimately bring instability and poor performance in monitoring and supervising financial institutions in the country which are operating under NRB guidelines. The Central bank of the country is responsible for making policies and laws to look after macro-economic management on a sustainable basis. Examinees have demanded with the central bank for making an arrangement for sitting in the exam again. If the central bank can not hold the examination again, examinees would be compelled to knock the doors of courts, they said.