Administration, as well know, has grown not only in volume but also in complexity. So, it is but proper that the house attaches the greatest importance to the machinery which is charged with the responsibility of seeing that the recruitment and the discipline of the services are maintained at the highest possible standard. Sir, the report before the house gives a clean bill to the Government. But from what some of the hon. Members pointed out during the debate, it seems to me that the report is significant for what it commits to say. It has probably to assume a superior role, if it is to control effectively the policy of recruitment and the standard of efficiency in the services generally. Sir, I shall not go into the question referred to by the hon. Member and we expect the hon. Member to throw more light on the aspects which were brought to the notice of the house. Sir, reference has been made to a fall in standards. It is said that education, in the universities and the educational system generally should improve, and unless that is so, we cannot have the desired personnel to man the services. In that connection hon. Members have referred to the need for improving not only the university stage of education but also the secondary stage. I would like to go a step further and say that the whole system of education has to be looked upon as one intergrated whole, and unless we strengthen our educational system from the very bottom it is no use our concentrating only on the university stage or the secondary stage. Even from the primary level, education as a whole is in a melting pot, not with regard to the curriculum alone but also with regard to the medium of education and its objectives. Sir, I would now refer to the question of examinations. Much has been said on whether there should be an oral test and what its place should be in deciding the merits of applicants. Sir, I feel compelled to say that the viva voice test is very necessary to select proper persons for the services. There is nothing sacrosanct about the written test.
