West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) Recruitment Rules, 1978 – Amendments

GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department
WBCS Cell
‘NABANNA’, Room No. 702, 325, Sarat Chatterjee Road, Howrah-711 102

No. 695-PAR (WBCS)/1D-179(Part-II) Dated 17.06.2025

NOTIFICATION

In exercise of the power conferred by the proviso to article 309 of the Constitution of India, the Governor is pleased hereby to make, with immediate effect, the following amendments in the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) Recruitment Rules, 1978, regulating recruitment to the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) etc., published under this Department notification No. 271-PAR(WBCS), dated 13.01.1978, as subsequently amended (hereinafter referred to as the said rules):-

Amendments

In the said rules, in rule 7, for sub-rule (3A), substitute the following sub-rule:-

‘(3A) The scheme and syllabus of the examination shall be as detailed below:-

I. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

1. The Preliminary Examination will consist of only one paper, viz., a paper on “General Studies”. The paper will be of objective type consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions. The paper will carry 200 marks and will be of 2.5 hours duration. The standard of the paper will be of the level of knowledge as expected of a graduate of any faculty of a recognized University. The paper will include questions covering the following fields of knowledge:-

(i) English Composition – 25 Marks
(ii) General Science – 25 Marks
(iii) Current Events of National and International Importance – 25 Marks
(iv) History of India – 25 Marks
(v) Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal – 25 Marks
(vi) Indian Polity and Economy – 25 Marks
(vii) Indian National Movement – 25 Marks
(viii) General Mental Ability – 25 Marks

2. The Preliminary Examination is meant to serve as a screening test only for the purpose of selection of candidates for the Main Examination. The marks obtained in this examination by the candidates will not be considered for final selection. Only those candidates who will be declared qualified at the Preliminary Examination in a year shall be eligible for admission to the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) etc. (Main) Examination of that year.

II. MAIN EXAMINATION

1. The Main Examination shall consist of six compulsory papers and one optional subject consisting of two papers (only for candidates applying for Group A and /or Group B) to be chosen by the candidates from the list of optional subjects given below. There will be two papers of the optional subject of 200 marks each. Each paper, Compulsory or Optional, will carry 200 marks and will be of 3 hours duration.

2. Out of six compulsory papers, four papers i.e. (i) Paper-Ill: General Studies-I, (ii) Paper IV: General Studies- II, (iii) Paper V: The Constitution of India and Indian Economy including role and functions of the Reserve Bank of India and (iv) Paper-VI: Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning will be of multiple-choice questions (MCQ) type to be answered in optical mark recognition (OMR) answer sheets and remaining two compulsory papers i.e. Paper-I and Paper-II will be of conventional type written examination.

3. Compulsory papers: – Six Compulsory papers are as follows:-

Paper I : Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali- Letter writing (within 150 words)/Drafting of Report (within 200 words), Precis Writing, Composition and Translation from English to Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali;

Paper II : English – Letter writing (within 150 words) / Drafting of Report (within 200 words), Precis Writing, Composition and Translation from Bengali/Hindi/Urdu/Nepali/Santali to English;

Paper III : General Studies -1: (i) Indian History with special emphasis on National Movement and (ii) Geography of India with special reference to West Bengal;

Paper IV : General Studies – II: Science and Scientific and Technological advancement, Environment, General Knowledge and Current Affairs;

Paper V: The Constitution of India and Indian Economy including role and functions of the Reserve Bank of India;

Paper VI: Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning.

4. List of Optional Subjects: – For Candidates applying for Group-A and Group-B post, there will be two papers of any of the following optional subjects:-

5. The standard of Arithmetic part of Compulsory Paper- VI (Arithmetic and Test of Reasoning) will be similar to that of the Compulsory Mathematics paper at the Madhyamik Examination of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Test of Reasoning will cover Analytical Reasoning : Data Sufficiency, Logical Reasoning: (i) Logical Deduction (ii) Forcefulness of the arguments (iii) Implication of sentences (iv) Inferring from diagrams; series: (i) Letter series, (ii) Number series. Inferring from Data, Analogy tests, Symbol Interpretation, Mathematical puzzles, Odd man out, Perception test, Not-verbal reasoning, Selecting the correct sequence.

6. The standard of other compulsory papers will be of the level of learning expected from a graduate of any faculty of a recognised University.

7. The two papers of the optional subjects will be of conventional type and the standard of the examination will be approximately that of an Honours Degree Examination as prescribed by the recognised Indian Universities except Law, Medical Science and Engineering subjects which will be that specified for the courses of LL.B., M.B.B.S. and B.E. or equivalent courses respectively by recognised Indian Universities / Institutions.

8. The Topic “Environment” in paper IV: “General Studies-II” will include the following:-

Bio diversity and Coastal Regulation Zone, Global Warming, Industrial and Environmental Pollution, Ozone Layer and related issues.

9. The Topic “Indian Economy including role and functions of the Reserve Bank of India” of the “Compulsory Paper-V” will consist of the following:-

Central State relation and devolution of central funds to State, Planning process and objectives of five years plan, Functions of Reserve Bank of India and Monetary Policy, Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commission and Fiscal Policy of Government of India.

10. Answers in all the papers, Compulsory and Optional, except the language papers may be written either in English or in Bengali (unless otherwise directed in these rules or in the question papers). Answers in the following optional papers may also be written in Nepali:

Optional: (1) Political Science;
(2) Botany.

Note- Candidates shall write their answers to all the questions in only one and the same language in any particular paper.

11. Candidates may use the Devanagari or Bengali Script in the answer papers on Sanskrit, the Devanagari Script in the answer papers on Hindi or Nepali, and the Bengali, Arabic, Persian, Urdu in the answer papers on Bengali, Arabic Persian, Urdu, respectively. Questions for Santali Paper will be set in Olchiki script and answers should also be written in Olchiki.

12. A summary of the group-wise papers in the Main Examination:

Group “A” and “B” Services and posts: All 6 compulsory papers and one optional subject consisting of two papers;

Group “C” and “D” Services and posts: All 6 compulsory papers.

13. Personality Test: A number of candidates selected in order of merit on the results of the Main Examination for all the services and posts included in Group “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” shall have to appear for the Personality Test. Each candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the test will be to assess the candidate’s personal qualities e.g. alertness of mind, power of clear and logical exposition, intellectual and moral integrity, leadership and also the candidate’s range of interests.

14. Candidates for Group “B” Service (West Bengal Police Service) will be specially tested at the interviews with regard to their suitability for the service.

Marks for the Personality Test

(i) Group “A” and “B” – 200 Marks
(ii) Group “C” – 150 Marks
(iii) Group “D” – 100 Marks

Note – No separate Personality Test shall be held for different groups viz. Group-A, Group-B, Group-C and Group-D in respect of a candidate. Marks will be awarded according to different services against allotted full marks for Personality Test.

15. Deduction of marks:-

(i) In all the answer papers under examination, due credit will be given for proper economy of words combined with clarity, precision and effectiveness of expression and originality of approach.

(ii) A deduction of 10% of full marks may be made from the total marks secured by a candidate in a particular paper if he / she discloses his / her identity by writing his / her name, roll number or by putting any identifying marks in the answer script of that paper.

(iii) There shall be negative marking for each wrong answer to multiple-choice questions (MCQ) type.

16. Discretion of the Commission:-

(1) The Commission has discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all the papers / subjects and in the aggregate.

(2) If a candidate fails to secure qualifying marks in any paper / subject, the marks in that paper / subject will not be considered in calculating his / her aggregate.

Abstract Table of Papers / Subjects and Marks Main Examination and Personality Test:

By order of the Governor,

JAGDISH PRASAD MEENA
Secretary to the Government of West Bengal

No. 695-PAR dated 17.06.2025, Source

🕒 Updated on: 31.10.2025 👁️ 15