The government received the highest number of applications for the government jobs in the last fiscal year 2016-17 from Province 2, according to the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Province, where the Madhesi community has a dominant presence, also topped in terms of the number of recruitments in the civil services.

According to the annual PSC report, out of the total 844,297 job applicants, 22.85 percent or 192,986 came from Province 2.

According to the PSC, seven out of eight districts in Province 2 had among the highest applications for government jobs, with Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusa, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari and Bara topping the chart.

In terms of recruitment, the PSC recommended 2,141 applicants from Province 2 for government jobs, which is the highest among all provinces. Among those recruited in the government services in the last fiscal, Saptari, Sarlahi, Dhanusha, Rautahat and Siraha from Province 2 topped the chart. Province 1 stood second with 1,507 applicants landing government jobs in the last fiscal.

PSC Chairman Umesh Prasad Mainali said that the two factors—state’s policy of inclusion and high population—are mainly responsible for high number of job applications from Province 2. “We have seen an increased number of applications from Province 2, particularly from the Madhesi community in the recent years after the introduction of a law with provision of inclusion,” he said. According to him, people from the Madhesi community are attracted to low level technical jobs.

As per the Civil Service Act, 55 percent of the government seats need to be fulfilled through open competition and the remaining 45 percent should be fulfilled through competition within certain communities such as women, Madhesi, Janajati, Dalits, people with disabilities and those from backward communities.

Within the inclusion category, the government received the highest number of applications from women, followed by indigenous nationalities and Madhesis. They were also first, second and third in terms of recruitment under the inclusion category, according to the PSC.