Civil Services Academy launches historic national outreach programme to inspire university students across Pakistan

LAHORE: The Pakistan Civil Services Academy (CSA) has launched its first-ever National Outreach Program aimed at encouraging university students to pursue careers in civil services. The initiative, titled “Civil Service: Challenges and Opportunities”, commenced at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, and marks a significant step toward bridging the gap between academic institutions and Pakistan’s public administration.

Addressing more than 100 students from diverse academic disciplines, Director General of the Civil Services Academy, Farhan Aziz Khawaja, delivered an in-depth lecture tracing the 232-year history of civil services. He contextualized the evolution of administrative governance by referencing Plato’s Philosopher King Theory, and explained its influence on the British colonial structure that laid the foundations for Pakistan’s current civil services framework.

The DG elaborated on the historical progression from the Covenanted Service to the Imperial Service, eventually forming the Indian Civil Service, which later evolved into the Civil Service of Pakistan. He explained that today’s structure comprises 12 service groups, including the Pakistan Administrative Service, Foreign Service of Pakistan, and Police Service of Pakistan.

Students were also introduced to the Civil Servants Act (commonly known as ESTA Code) and the operational responsibilities of career civil servants, particularly their roles in policymaking and implementation. Farhan Aziz Khawaja emphasized that Pakistan’s youth are the nation’s future and strongly encouraged them to test their capabilities by appearing for the CSS (Central Superior Services) examination.

Highlighting the importance of psychological readiness, he noted that emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in succeeding not just in the written exams, but also during the competitive interview stages. He advised students against over-reliance on private academies for preparation, cautioning that while such institutions may help with written performance, they often fall short in grooming candidates for interviews.

He further clarified that the government provides three chances to attempt the CSS examination and acknowledged that a majority of successful candidates come not from the elite, but from lower-middle and underprivileged backgrounds. The government, he added, is committed to expanding opportunities for such candidates to join the civil services.

Responding to student inquiries, Khawaja addressed several pertinent topics, including the distinction between federal and provincial civil services, the quota system for armed forces personnel, and the essential skills required to excel in CSS. He also shed light on the proposed cluster-based reform policy for the CSS exam, which aims to align subjects with specific service groups. While the policy is still under discussion due to governance challenges, it represents a significant potential shift in recruitment methodology.

The DG concluded by inviting students to visit the Civil Services Academy to gain firsthand insight into the training and responsibilities of civil servants, underscoring the Academy’s commitment to transparency and engagement with the next generation of leaders. He emphasized that such visits would help demystify the training and service culture of civil servants and further bridge the disconnect between Pakistan’s academic institutions and bureaucratic machinery.

A key point of discussion was the government’s proposed Cluster-Based Examination Policy, aimed at restructuring the CSS examination to align subject choices more closely with specific service groups. While the proposal remains under review due to ongoing governance and administrative challenges, the DG confirmed that internal consultations are underway, and its implementation could mark a transformative step in public sector recruitment.

The launch of the National Outreach Program is seen by many as a visionary step by the Civil Services Academy to democratize access to civil services and nurture a new generation of ethical, capable, and diverse leaders who can shape the future of Pakistan with competence and integrity.