Nov. 12.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2925

5. The merit of the persons examined will be estimated by marks*; and the number set opposite to each subject in the preceding regulation denotes the greatest number of marks that can be obtained in respect of it.

6. From the marks assigned to candidates in each subject will be made such deduction as the Civil Service Commissioners may deem necessary in order to secure that no credit be allowed for merely superficial knowledge.

7. The examination will be conducted on paper and vivâ voce, as may be deemed necessary.

8. The marks obtained by each candidate in respect of each of the subjects in which he shall have been examined will be added up, and the names of the several candidates who shall have obtained, after the deduction above mentioned, a greater aggregate number of marks than any of the remaining candidates will be set forth in order of merit, and such candidates shall be deemed to be selected candidates for the Civil Service of India, provided they appear to be in other respects duly qualified. Should any of the selected candidates become disqualified, the Secretary of State for India will determine whether the vacancy thus created shall be filled up or not. In the former case, the candidate next in order of merit, and in other respects duly qualified, shall be deemed to be a selected candidate.

9. Selected candidates, before proceeding to India, will be on probation for one year, at the end of which time they will be examined, with a view of testing their progress in the following subjects†:—

Compulsory—

Marks.

1. Indian Penal Code .. .. .. 400
2. Code of Criminal Procedure .. .. 200
3. The Indian Evidence Act .. .. 200
4. Indian history .. .. .. 400
   ‡5. The principal vernacular language of the province to which the candidate is assigned .. .. .. 400

Optional [not more than one of the following subjects]—

Marks.

1. Hindu and Muhammadan law .. .. 450
   §2. Sanskrit .. .. .. 400
   §3. Arabic .. .. .. 400
2. Persian .. .. .. 400
3. Hindustani (for candidates assigned to the Province of Burma only) .. .. 400

In this examination, as in the open competition, the merit of the candidates examined will be estimated by marks (which will be subject to deductions in the same way as the marks assigned at the open competition), and the number set opposite to each subject denotes the greatest number of marks that can be obtained in respect of it. The examination will be conducted on paper and vivâ voce, as may be deemed necessary. This examination will be held at the close of the year of probation, and will be called the “final examination.”

If any candidate is prevented by sickness or any other adequate cause from attending such examination, the Commissioners may, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State for India in Council, allow him to appear at the final examination to be held in the following year, or at a special examination.

10. The selected candidates will also be tested during their probation as to their proficiency in riding.

The examinations in riding will be held as follows:—

(1.) Shortly after the result of the open competitive examination has been declared, or at such time or times as the Commissioners may appoint during the course of the probationary year.

(2.) Again at the time of the final examination. Candidates who may then fully satisfy the Commissioners of their ability to ride well and to perform journeys on horseback will be awarded from 100 to 200 marks, according to the degree of proficiency displayed, to be added to their marks in the final examination. Candidates who fail to obtain 100 marks, but are reported by the Civil Service Commissioners to have reached a minimum standard of proficiency in riding, and are certified by the said Commissioners to be entitled to be appointed to the Civil Service of India, will, on their arrival in India, be subjected to such further tests in riding as may be prescribed by their Government; and shall receive no increase to their initial salary until they have passed such tests to the satisfaction of that Government.

A candidate who fails at the end of the year of probation to satisfy the Civil Service Commissioners that he has reached the minimum standard of proficiency in riding will be liable to have his name removed from the list of selected candidates.

11. The selected candidates who, on examination, shall be found to have a competent knowledge of the subjects specified in Regulation 9, and who shall have satisfied the Civil Service Commissioners of their eligibility in respect of nationality, age, health, character, conduct during the period of probation, and ability to ride, shall be certified by the said Commissioners to be entitled to be appointed to the Civil Service of India, provided they shall comply with the regulations in force at the time for that service.

12. Persons desirous to be admitted as candidates must apply on forms, which may be obtained from “The Secretary to the Civil Service Commissioners, London,” at any time after the 1st December in the year previous to that in which the examination is to be held. No person will be admitted to the examination from whom the Secretary to the Civil Service Commissioners has not received, on or before the 1st July (or, if that date should fall upon a Sunday or public holiday, then on or before the first day thereafter on which their office is open) in the year in which the examination is to be held, an application, in the handwriting of the candidate, on the prescribed form.

The Civil Service Commissioners are authorised by the Secretary of State for India in Council to make the following announcements:—

(1.) Selected candidates will be allotted to the various provinces upon a consideration of all the circumstances, including their own wishes; but the requirements of the public service will rank before every other consideration.

(2.) An allowance amounting to £150 will be given to any candidate who passes his probation at one of the universities or colleges which have been approved by the Secretary of State—viz., the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, St. Andrew’s, Aberdeen, and London (University College or King’s College); Victoria University, Manchester.

This allowance will be paid to the selected candidate in four instalments on the following dates respectively:— December 24th after his selection, March 25th, June 24th, and the date of his signing his covenant on being finally appointed to the Service.

With the final instalment an allowance on account of passage to India will be paid to each newly appointed civilian to the amount of £37 10s., for passage to Calcutta, Madras, or Bombay, and £43 for passage to Rangoon, the officer then making his own arrangements for his passage.

The payment of each of the first three instalments will be conditional on the receipt, by the Secretary of State, through the Civil Service Commissioners, of a certificate that the candidate has fulfilled up to date the requirements of the authorities, and shows satisfactory conduct at the authorised university or college; the fourth and final instalment will be paid as soon as the selected candidate has signed his covenant, and for its payment no certificate from the college authorities will be required.

The whole probation must ordinarily be passed at the same institution. Migration will not be permitted except for special reasons approved by the Secretary of State.

(3.) Each candidate will be required before receiving the first instalment of his allowance to execute an agreement binding himself to refund all moneys he may have received from the Secretary of State for India in the event of—

(1) His failure to pass the final examination within the time prescribed by the regulations, and to satisfy the Civil Service Commissioners of his fitness for admission to the Civil Service of India; or

(2) His subsequent failure to execute the usual covenant, and to proceed to India as and when he shall be directed by the Secretary of State for India.

(4.) All candidates obtaining certificates will be also required to enter into covenants by which, amongst other things, they will bind themselves to make such payments as under the rules and regulations for the time being in force they may be required to make towards their own pensions or for the pensions of their families. The stamps payable on these covenants amount to £1.

(5.) The seniority in the Civil Service of India of the candidates obtaining certificates will be determined according to the order in which they stand on the list resulting from the

• Considerable deductions will be made for bad handwriting.

† Instructions, showing the extent of the examination, will be issued to selected candidates as soon as possible after the result of the open competition is declared.

‡ The principal vernacular language prescribed for each province to which candidates are assigned is as follows:—

For the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, the Punjab, and the Central Provinces—Hindustani.

For Burma—Burmese.

For Bombay—Marathi.

For Madras—Tamil or Telugu (at the option of the candidate).

For the Lower Provinces of Bengal—Hindustani or Bengali (at the option of the candidate).

In Hindustani the candidate will be required to be acquainted with both the Persian and the Nagari character; and in the case of the last two provinces mentioned above, a candidate whose vernacular language is either of the languages shown against his province must offer the other for examination.

§ These subjects may not be offered by any candidate who has offered them at the open competition.