LAHORE: The Pakistan Civil Services Academy (CSA), Lahore has started the second batch of its National Outreach Programme (NOP) to help minority students prepare for the Central Superior Services (CSS) exams.
The programme aims to improve the representation of minorities in civil services, where many quota seats remain vacant each year.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the Iqbal Auditorium, Walton Campus, and attended by CSA faculty, probationers of the 53rd Common Training Programme, participants of HEC Cohort-III, and new candidates. Punjab Minister for Minorities Ramesh Singh Arora was the chief guest.
The initiative was launched with the support of federal and provincial governments after disappointing results from the Special CSS Examination 2023, where only 16 minority candidates qualified for 121 reserved quota seats across the country.
The NOP aims to bridge this gap through awareness sessions, mentorship, structured training, and advanced coaching to help candidates compete on merit.
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Dr. Syed Shabir Akbar Zaidi, Director (Capacity Building), briefed the participants about the programme’s goals and updated teaching methods.
He highlighted the success of Batch-I, which trained 42 candidates and concluded in August. He encouraged the new batch to make the most of this opportunity for personal and career growth.
Addressing the participants, Ramesh Singh Arora praised CSA and the government for taking steps to improve minority inclusion in bureaucracy.
He said such initiatives promote national unity and inclusivity, urging universities to start similar programmes. He assured continued government support for the cause.
In his closing remarks, CSA Director General Farhan Aziz Khawaja reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to building a diverse bureaucracy that reflects Pakistan’s population.
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For Batch-II, 50 participants were selected by provincial governments: Punjab (16), Sindh (urban and rural) (16), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Ex-FATA (10), and Balochistan (8). They have begun a one-month residential training at CSA Walton Campus.
The programme is divided into three stages:
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Awareness and Mobilization – outreach in universities and minority communities, especially women.
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Orientation and Training (2025) – mentorship, exam strategies, and mock evaluations.
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Advanced Coaching (2026) – subject specialization, mock exams, and interview preparation.
The curriculum includes CSS exam structure, paper patterns, guidance on compulsory and optional subjects, current affairs, ethics, public administration, personality development, and time management. Candidates will receive mentoring from senior civil servants along with mock tests and performance evaluations.
CSA hopes that by expanding access and offering specialized support, more minority candidates will qualify for civil services, helping create a more inclusive and representative governance system in Pakistan.
