I ask you: What does Essential qualifications for a job mean?

We will agree that essential qualifications for a job or recruitment exam application form are those which are mandatory for applying for the job. Mandatory means, when the time comes the applicant must present the documentary proof of the said qualification. For instance, if the essential eligibility qualification or eligibility qualification for PCS exam is Graduate degree from any recognised Indian University, then the applicant must have documentary proof to support that claim.

In addition, the recruiter can't put different eligibility qualifications for different jobs, under one head. Even if a single recruitment exam is being conducted for an array of jobs/posts. For instance, not everyone applying for PCS exam is a Law Graduate. They are applying for posts other than those which require the Graduation in Law or for the posts where Graduation in Law is not given preference.

Last but not the least, the recruiter can't include 'Functional Literacy or proficiency (in Hindi कार्यकारी ज्ञान अथवा दक्षता )' under the Essential Educational Qualification List for Uttarakhand PCS Pre 2012. Functional Literacy means the qualification about which the applicant will not be asked to present the documentary proof (certificate/diploma/degree etc.).

Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UkPSC) has committed all the three mistakes in its Online Application form of PCS-2012 .It not only included preferential qualifications or Specialist job qualifications under one Head of Essential Educational Qualification, it also added towards the end of the list 'Functional Literacy or proficiency' preferences as well. Have a look at the three Functional Literacy or proficiency inclusions:

Essential Educational Qualification / अनिवार्य शैक्षिक योग्यता

2 : हिंदी - अंग्रेजी भाषा पढ़ने, लिखने और बात करने की पूर्ण क्षमता और सुचना प्रोद्योगिकी व कंप्यूटर का ज्ञान
3 : देवनागरी लिपि में लिखित हिंदी तथा अंग्रेजी का कार्य साधक ज्ञान
4 : देवनागरी लिपि में लिखित हिंदी का कार्यकारी ज्ञान !

From my estimation, many applicants will commit mistake selecting the Essential Educational Qualification (s) while filling Online Application form of PCS-2012. These mistakes could have easily be avoided by putting Functional Literacy or proficiency under a separate preferential qualifications Head. 

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