The All-India Bank Employees Association has urged the Centre to streamline the recruitment of clerks to public sector banks.

In a letter to the Financial Services Secretary, the association pointed out that the current recruitment, through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, was flawed and discriminated against job seekers from poor and backward backgrounds.

The association said the conditions set for this year’s round of selection for five associate banks of the State Bank were retrograde. One condition was that a job seeker can apply for a clerical post in just one associate bank and that too in just one State.

“When the recruitment is common for all the five subsidiary banks of SBI, why a candidate should not apply for vacancies in multiple banks in other States too?” the association wanted to know. It noted that all the five banks have vacancies in Karnataka, but a candidate can apply for only one bank. The association wondered why the vacancies couldn’t be pooled State-wise in a common recruitment and the choice of bank be left to the candidate at the time of the final selection. The association also pointed out that the examination fee of ₹600 charged by IBPS was exorbitant. The current procedure also worked against candidates in the reserved categories who were denied the chance to compete for other vacancies in other banks.

The association has called for overhauling the recruitment norms and process. The best way to address these issues, according to the association, was to revive the old Banking Service Recruitment Boards.

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