Sindh Cabinet Approves SPSC CCE Exam Reforms and Age Limit Increase

What happened

During a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the Sindh cabinet approved several reforms for the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) [1, 2]. These decisions follow protests and concerns raised by candidates regarding examination arrangements and recruitment procedures [1].

Key changes to the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) include:

• The minimum qualifying marks for the CCE screening test will be reduced from 40% to 33% [1, 2].
• The upper age limit for candidates appearing in the CCE has been raised from 30 years to 33 years [1, 2].
• The number of permissible attempts for the examination has increased from three to five [1, 2].
• Computer-based testing will be introduced for one-paper examinations, with results printed immediately after the tests [1].
• Interview marks will be revised to follow the ratio used by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) [1].

The cabinet also decided to constitute a Cabinet Reforms Committee to develop reforms for the SPSC using artificial intelligence and information technology [1]. Additional safeguards were approved to prevent retaliatory action against candidates who participated in recent protests and to create a mechanism to review allegations of candidates being targeted during interviews [1].

Other decisions made during the meeting included:

• Approving the Sindh Property Revenue Enhancement Programme, supported by the World Bank with $150 million in financing, to increase property tax collection in Karachi’s 25 town municipal corporations from Rs2.3 billion to Rs25.5 billion [1].
• Approving a €115 million financing package from the European Investment Bank for the third phase of the Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, consisting of a 100-million-euro loan and a 15-million-euro grant [1].
• Handing over management of DHQ Hospital Sujawal to the Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) for five years under a public-private partnership, with a first-year requirement of approximately Rs1 billion [1].
• Extending MERF’s management of DHQ Hospital Thatta and seven other facilities for five years [1].
• Operationalising Chanesar Dispensary and Maternity Home as a 24-hour facility through the Indus Hospital and Health Network [1].
• Approving the Sindh Policy for Receipt and Disposal of Natural Gas Royalty In-Kind 2026 [1].
• Approving post-facto the declaration of Mitha Ram Hostel near Pakistan Chowk as a sub-jail for accused in the KTC attack cases [1].

Chief Minister Shah also briefed the cabinet on his visit to China, noting that the Sindh government signed 12 memorandums of understanding during the Sindh Investment and Trade Conference in Shanghai [1].