GUJARAT ACCOUNTS SERVICES, CLASS I AND GUJARAT COMMERCIAL TAX SERVICES, CLASS I COMBINED COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION RULES, 2016

PREAMBLE

In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Art. 309 of the Constitution of India, the Governor of Gujarat hereby makes the following rules to provide for regulating the method of Competitive Examination for recruitment to the posts of Gujarat Accounts Services, Class I and Gujarat Commercial Tax Services, Class I under the Finance Department, namely:

Rule - 1. Short title.

(1)     These rules may be called the Gujarat Accounts Services, Class I and Gujarat Commercial Tax Services, Class I Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2016.

(2)     They shall apply to the persons to be appointed by direct selection to the post of Gujarat Accounts Services, Class I and Gujarat Commercial Tax Services, Class I under the Finance Department.

Rule - 2. Definitions.

In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires-

(a)      'Commission' means the Gujarat Public Service Commission;

(b)      'Government' means the Government of Gujarat;

(c)      'Examination' means the combined competitive examination for recruitment to the posts specified in Schedule I, which includes the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination and an Interview Test referred to in the Rule 4;

(d)      'Schedule means Schedule appended to these rules;

(e)      'Relevant Recruitment Rules' means the recruitment rules prescribed by the Government for the posts specified in Schedule 1.

(f)       'Schedule posts' means the posts specified in Schedule I.

Rule - 3. Condition for eligibility.

(1)     A candidate shall not be qualified for admission to the Examination unless he is,

(a)      a citizen of India, or

(b)      a subject of Nepal, or

(c)      a subject of Bhutan, or

(d)      a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam, with the intention of permanently settling in India:

Provided that candidates belonging to categories (b), (c) and (d) shall furnish a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government.

(2)     A candidate who is required to produce a certificate of eligibility, may be allowed to appear in the examination or interview conducted by the Commission and he may also be appointed provisionally subject to the production of eligibility certificate.

Rule - 4. Educational qualification.

A candidate possessing the requisite qualifications prescribed under the relevant recruitment rules shall be eligible for admission to the examination, for the appointment to the posts specified in the Scheduled I.

Rule - 5. Age limit.

A candidate for admission to the examination shall have attained the minimum age and shall not have attained the maximum age prescribed in the relevant recruitment rules on the date specified in the advertisement.

Rule - 6. Holding of examinations.

(1)     The Commission, on receiving the requisition from the Government, shall hold a combined competitive examination for the selection of candidates for recruitment to the posts specified in Schedule I.

(2)     The dates and places of Examination shall be decided by the Commission.

(3)     The procedure to call for application and scrutiny of the applications shall be decided by the Commission.

Rule - 7. Mode of examinations.

(1)     The examination shall be held in two successive stages, namely:

(i)       Preliminary examination (Objective Type) for selection of candidates for Main Examination; and

(ii)      Main Examination (Written) and Interview Test for final selection of candidates.

(2)     The Preliminary Examination and Main Examination shall be held in the manner specified in Schedule II.

Rule - 8. Syllabus.

The Commission shall determine the details of syllabus of each subject and such syllabus shall be supplied to the candidates along with the application form.

Rule - 9. Medium of Examination.

(1)     Subject to sub-rule (2), the medium of the examination shall be Gujarati and English;

(2)     The answers to the question paper of General English portion of paper I shall require to be given in English language;

(3)     The answer to the Question paper III of main Examination shall be given in Gujarati or in English. However, the candidate shall be allowed to write answers either in English or in Gujarati only in respective subject.

Rule - 10. Place of examination.

(1)     The interview test shall be held at Ahmedabad.

(2)     The candidates shall require to attend the written examinations and interview test at their own expenses.

Rule - 11. Application for appearing in examination.

(1)     A candidate who desires to appear at the Preliminary Examination shall submit his application within such time limit and in such form as may be prescribed by the Commission along with such fees as may be determined by the Government.

(2)     The candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified for admission to the Main Examination shall apply again within such time limit and in such form as may be prescribed by the Commission along with such fees as may be determined by the Government.

(3)     The fees shall be paid in such manner as may be prescribed by the Commission and fee once paid shall not be refunded or held over for the subsequent examination.

(4)     The request for withdrawal of the application by the candidate shall not be entertained under any circumstances.

Rule - 12. Order of preference.

(1)     A candidate at the time of interview test shall indicate in his own hand writing, the order of preferences for the posts to which he desires to be considered for the appointment in such manner as may be prescribed by the Commission:

Provided that the preference once given by the candidate shall be treated as final and no request for revision, addition, alteration or change in the preference shall be entertained by the Commission or by the Government.

(2)     (a) The order of preference for the posts indicated by the candidate shall not confer any right for appointment to those posts. Having regard to the rank in the order of merit and the number of posts available, the preference given by the candidate shall be considered by the Government at the time of his appointment,

(b) Where a candidate has not given preference for any post, or the candidate has given preference only for one post and the post for which he has given preference is not available to accommodate the candidate as per his preference, such candidate shall be considered for appointment to the other post after the process of appointment of the other candidates, who have given preference for all the posts specified in Schedule I, is completed.

(3)     The appointment of a candidate to a particular post shall be subject to the provisions of the Recruitment Rules of the relevant posts.

(4)     Where a candidate fails to join the post offered to him, his name shall be deleted from the list of candidates recommended by the Commission for appointment.

(5)     Where the candidate has been appointed to a particular post, no request shall be entertained by the Government for change of appointment to other post.

(6)     (1) After interview, the candidates shall be arranged by the Commission in the order of merit on the basis of aggregate marks finally awarded to each candidate in the main examination. Thereafter, the Commission shall, for the purpose of recommending candidates against unreserved vacancies, fix a qualifying mark (hereinafter referred to as general qualifying standard) with reference to the number of unreserved vacancies to be filled up on the basis of the Main Examination. For the purpose of recommending reserved category candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes; Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes) against reserved vacancies, the Commission may relax the general qualifying standard with reference to number of reserved vacancies to be filled up in each of these categories on the basis of the Main Examination;

Provided that the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes) who have not availed themselves of any of the concessions or relaxations in the eligibility or selection criteria, at any stage of the examination and who after taking into account the general qualifying standards are found fit for recommendation by the Commission shall not be recommended against the vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Educationally Backward Glasses (including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes).

(2) While considering the preferences, the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes(including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes) recommended against unreserved vacancies may be adjusted against reserved vacancies by the Commission if by this process they get a post of higher choice in the order of their preference.

(3)     The Commission may further lower the qualifying standard to take care of any shortfall of candidates for appointment against unreserved vacancies arising out of the provision of this rule.

Rule - 13. Disqualification for appointment on ground of plural marriage.

(1)     No person, who,

(a)      has entered into or contracted a marriage with a person having a spouse living, or

(b)      having a spouse, living, has entered into or contracted a marriage with any person shall be eligible for appointment to the posts specified in Schedule I:

Provided that subject to the provisions of any law for the time being in force, the State Government may, if satisfied that there are special grounds for doing so, exempt any person from the operation of this sub rule.

(2)     The Candidate shall declare in the application Form whether he or she, as the ease may be, is married and, in the case of the male candidate whether he has more than one wife living, and in the case of a female candidate whether she has married to a mail who has already another wife living.

Rule - 14. Commission's decision final.

(a)      No candidate shall be allowed to appear at the Main Examination unless the Commission is satisfied that candidate is eligible in all respect and he has complied with all the requirements including the payment of the requisite fees.

(b)      The decision of the Commission as to the eligibility of a candidate for admission to the Main Examination shall be final and the candidate who has not been permitted to appear at the examination by the Commission shall not be allowed to appear at the Main Examination.

Rule - 15. Restriction as to examination.

(1)     The candidate shall require to answer all question papers in own hand writing. However, the blind candidates shall be allowed to write in the Examination with the help of a scribe subject to such instructions as may be issued by the Commission in that behalf.

(2)     A candidate shall not be permitted to carry with him a cellular phone, pager or any other mobile communication device in the Examination Hall.

(3)     The candidate may be permitted to bring and use the simple battery operated non-program pocket calculator in main examination in conventional type paper as may be prescribed by the Commission. But transfer of calculator amongst the candidates in the Examination Hall shall not be permitted.

Rule - 16. Appearance to main Examination.

(a)      The candidates who have obtained such minimum qualifying marks as may be fixed by the Commission in the Preliminary Examination, shall be allowed to appear in the main examination.

(b)      The candidates who have obtained such minimum qualifying marks as may be fixed by the Commission in the Main Examination (written) shall be called for an interview test:

Provided that candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes or Socially and Educationally Backward Classes may be allowed to appear in the Main Examination (written test) or, as the case may be, called for interview test by relaxing the standard in the Preliminary Examination or as the case may be in the Main Examination (written) if the Commission is of the opinion that sufficient number of candidates from these communities are not likely to be available for the Main Examination (written) or as the case may be for interview test on the basis of the qualifying standard for general category in order to fill up the vacancies reserved for such categories.

Rule - 17. Waiting list.

There shall be no waiting list. The residual vacancies of posts if any due to non joining of candidates (who have been allotted the posts of Gujarat Accounts Services, Class I and Gujarat Commercial Tax Services, Class I) for any reasons, shall be carried forward to the next occasion of recruitment:

Provided that where the vacancies reserved for the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, (including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes) cannot be filled up on the basis of the qualifying aggregate marks fixed for general category, the Commission may relax the standard of aggregate marks to make up the deficiency in the reserved posts.

Rule - 18. Ineligible if fails to attend interview.

The candidate, who is qualified for the interview test but fails to attend the interview test shall not be eligible for selection.

Rule - 19. Result of examination.

(a)      The Commission shall publish the result of the successful candidates, whose names are to be recommended to the Government for the appointment to the posts shall be arranged according to the order of merits of candidates along with the seat number and the total marks obtained by each of the candidates.

(b)      The Commission shall also display on its notice board the result of unsuccessful candidates containing the seat number and total marks obtained by each of the candidates.

(c)      The Commission shall send a copy of the result so published in the Official Gazette to the Government.

Rule - 20. Recounting of marks of Main Examination.

(1)     A candidate who desires to have recounting of his marks of Main Examination may apply to the Commission along with such fee as may be fixed by the Commission for each paper within a period of thirty days from the date of declaration of the final result of the Main Examination.

(2)     A candidate who desires to have the mark sheet of the Main Examination shall apply to the Commission along with such fee as may be fixed by the Commission within a period of fifteen days from the date of declaration of the final result.

Rule - 21. Forwarding the result to Government.

The Commission, on declaration of the result, shall forward to the Government the list of candidates who are recommended for appointment along with necessary particulars such as whether candidate belongs to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (including Nomadic Tribes and De notified Tribes) and his date of birth, qualifications, order of preference for post and such other particulars as the State Government may direct.

Rule - 22. No right to appointment.

The mere success in the examination shall not confer any right to appointment and candidate shall be appointed to the post unless the Government is satisfied, after such inquiries as may be considered necessary that the candidate is suitable in all respects for appointment to the posts specified in Schedule I.

Rule - 23. Medical examination.

The selected candidate shall require to pass a medical examination in accordance with rules, made by the Government in this behalf.

Rule - 24. Disciplinary actions.

The candidate who is or has been declared by the Commission to be guilty of-

(i)       obtaining support for his candidature by any means;

(ii)      impersonating;

(iii)     procuring impersonation by any person;

(iv)    submitting fabricated documents or documents which have been tampered with;

(v)      making statements which are incorrect or false or suppressing material information;

(vi)    resorting to any other irregular or improper means in connection with his candidature for the examination;

(vii)   using unfair means during the examination;

(viii)  writing irrelevant matter, including absurd language or pornographic matter in the scripts;

(ix)    misbehaving in any other manner in the examination hall;

(x)      harassing or doing bodily harm to the staff employed by the Commission for the conduct of the Examination;

(xi)    attempting to commit or as the case may be, abetting the Commission of all or any of the acts specified in the foregoing clauses;

(xii)   violating any of the instructions issued to the candidates along with his admission Certificate permitting him to take the examination, shall, in addition to rendering himself liable to criminal prosecution be liable -

(a)      to be disqualified by the Commission from the examination for which he is a candidate or

(b)      to be debarred either permanently or for a specific period,

(i)       by the Commission from appearing in any examination or from any interview for direct selection to be held by them; or

(ii)      by the State Government from any employment under it;

Provided that no penalty under clause (a) or clause (b) shall be imposed except after giving the candidate an opportunity of making such representation in writing as he may wish to make in that behalf.

(c)      to disciplinary action under the appropriate rules if he is already in the Government service.

SCHEDULE-I

[See Rule 2(f)(c) and 6(1)]

(1)     Accounts Officer in Gujarat Accounts Service Class-I.

(2)     Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Tax in Gujarat Commercial Tax Service Class-I

SCHEDULE II

[See Rule 7 (2)]

SECTION-I

PLAN OF EXAMINATION

The competitive examination shall comprise of two successive stages:.

(A)     Preliminary Examination (objective type) for the selection of candidates for Main Examination; and

(B)     Main Examination (written) and Interview test for selection of candidates for the scheduled posts.

(A)     Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination shall consists of two papers of objective type (multiple choice questions) MCQs and carry a maximum of 350 total marks as shown in Section II of this schedule. This examination is meant as a screening test only. The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates, who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination shall not be counted for determining their final merit list. The number of candidates to be allowed to appear to the Main Examination shall be about six times of the total number of vacancies so advertised. The candidate who is declared qualified in the Preliminary Examination by the Commission, shall only be eligible for admission to the Main Examination, subject to the condition that he is otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Examination.

(B)     Main Examination

The Main Examination shall consists of written examination and the interview test. The written examination shall consists of 3 (three) papers of conventional essay type, each carrying 200 marks as shown in Section III of this schedule.

The candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks as may be fixed by the Commission, in the written part of the Main Examination, shall be called for the interview test. The number of candidates to be called for the interview test shall be about thrice the number of vacancies so advertised. The interview test as shown in Section IV of this schedule shall carry 100 marks without any minimum qualifying marks. The marks obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination and the Interview test shall determine their final ranking.

SECTION-II

Scheme and subjects for the preliminary Examination:

The preliminary Examination shall consists Total-350 marks of 2 (two) papers as follow:

Note.

(1)     The syllabus for both the question papers shall be such as may be prescribed and notified by the Commission.

(2)     The standard and the course content of the syllabus for paper 1 shall be of the Twelfth standard of Gujarati Higher Secondary Education Board.

(3)     The standard and the course content of the syllabus for General Studies papers shall be of a degree level.

(4)     The question papers shall be of the objective type (Multiple Choice Questions).

(5)     The blind candidates may be allowed an extra time of twenty minutes per hour for paper I & II

SECTION-III

Scheme and Subjects of Main Examination

Scheme and Subjects of Main Examination shall consist of the following papers:

COMPULSORY PAPERS

Note.

(1)     The standard of Gujarati paper shall be equivalent to Gujarati Subject (Higher Level) of Twelfth Standard of Gujarat Secondary Education Board.

(2)     The standard of the English paper shall be equivalent to English subject (Lower Level) of Twelfth Standard of Gujarat Secondary Education Board.

(3)     The standard and the course content of the syllabus for General Studies Paper II and Commerce Paper III shall be of a degree level.

(4)     The syllabus for each of the paper shall be such as may be prescribed and notified by the Commission.

(5)     The question papers for the examination shall be of conventional type.

(6)     The blind candidates may be allowed an additional time of twenty minutes per hour.

SECTION-IV

Interview Test - 100 Marks.