Lack of meritocracy

Islamabad:Have you ever thought about why Pakistan institutions struggle with inefficiency and a lack of growth despite having many talented individuals? It is due to a lack of meritocracy. In Pakistan, individuals are hired in government and private organisations or enrolled in academic institutions on the basis of personal connections, bribery and social status rather than their talent, skills, and performance, as merit is a key foundation that upholds fairness, equality, and excellence in society. And with the help of implementing a merit-based system, we can easily address several deep-rooted issues, which includes socio economic disparity, corruption, and bribery.

In our society, individuals are not hired in government and private institutions based on their potential talent and qualification. However, nepotism and favouritism are used while selecting individuals for jobs. This practice has destroyed our organization and eroded public trust. And due to lack of a merit system in Pakistan, our judiciary, civil bureaucracy, and education systems have been damaged. As far as the educational institutions of Pakistan are concerned, the education system is in an alarming situation. Students are enrolled in schools and universities based on personal connections, bribery, and social status, which cause problems for deserving and talented individuals who want to study but, due to their socio-economic background and lack of connections, are unable to secure a seat.

Moreover, another challenge individuals are facing is the lack of a single national curriculum across all provinces. Different curricula are taught in each province with varying standards of education, which cause an obstacle to fostering equality and unity among individuals across the entire country. Every student should be provided with the same level of education and equal opportunities. Therefore, there should be a single national curriculum system in Pakistan. As in Sindh, the existence of the quota system creates one problem when students who are educated in urban areas apply for jobs using the rural quota. The quota system was introduced to help rural students, who have fewer facilities and lower-quality education compared to their urban counterparts, who have access to better resources. It was meant to provide rural students with opportunities to secure seats. However, some students take advantage of the system by benefiting from urban education and facilities but applying for jobs and education using the rural quota.Misbah Haider Jaffery, a Sociology graduate from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.