PCS Stands for Provincial Civil Service while PMS stands For Provincial Management Service. This PMS concept was introduced in 2004, under PMS Rules 2004 by Punjab Government. The 1st Batch of PMS was Recruited in 2005, 2006 was second and recently inducted batch is the third one and the selected officers are under training.
Both are quite same, PCS was the used previously and PMS is a current term. , PCS is a combined competitive exam held for the recruitment of candidates for the civil service posts of that particular state and PMS is a type of test which held by Provincial Public Service Commission (PPSC) of the four provinces of Pakistan to fill the empty seats on the posts of Provincial Management Service. PMS exams usually conducted for the provision of posts in various departments of regional government. However, PMS exams in Pakistan are not held on the regular basis but PPSC announced exam schedule one month before when there are jobs.
So, PCS is an organization or board who is responsible for:
- announcing vacancies for different kinds of posts
- selecting candidates for any announced post on merit
- selecting civil servants for his own province (bps-9 to bps-20)
In Pakistan currently following PCS websites are Working:
1-www.punjab.gov.pk (for Punjab)
2-www.bpsc.gob.pk (for balochistan)
3-www.nwfppsc.gov.pk (for khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
4-www.spsc.gov.pk (for Sindh)
5-www.ajkpsc.gov.pk( for Azad Kashmir)
PCS organization is responsible for different duties which select civil servants for its own province (bps-9 to bps-20). Prominent posts selected by PCS are:
1- Tehsildar
2- DDOR
3- ETO (excise and taxation officer)
4- Superintendent of jail
5- ASI
6- Excise inspector
7- Zakat officer
8- Manger Auqaf
9- Stenographer
10- Assistant
11- Subject specialist
12- Lecturer
13- Civil judge
14- Legal inspector
15- Veterinary officer
16- MBBS doctors
17- Teachers
18- Headmaster/Headmistress
Some of the people tried to differentiate PCS from PMS due to some reason:
Provincial Management Service (PMS) is a cadre quite different from or PCS. It has been recognized as the premier service of the Province of Punjab. It is being hoped that this cadre would emerge with the DMG in the province of Punjab due to the following reasons.
- PMS Officers will join the office of DDO at field what DMGs also join at the beginning of their career. They will not join as their subordinates as happened earlier when they used to join as EACs working under the ACs.
- Their training is being improved to reduce the difference of training between the PCS/PSS and DMGs. Those PMS Officers who will stand at the top positions in MPDD by the end of their training will be sent to Singapore Civil Service College for further development of their potential.
- The number of seats at field and secretariat are being increased with the passage of time which will be helpful for rapid promotions of PMS Officers.
- PMS Officers will be working on all type of managerial positions in the province (may be outside on deputation) and not merely in revenue department or as section officers.
Some of the people tried to differentiate PMS from PCS on the following base:
- Provincial Civil Service (PCS) was made up of three branches
- PCS-Executive
- PCS-Secretariat branch (provincial secretariat service (PSS))
- PCS-Judicial branch
But all these three streams put together made Provincial civil service (PCS) and in common understanding PCS stood for Executive Branch.
- PPSC conducted combined competitive examination for the Posts of Extra Assistant commissioners and Section officers.
So it is clear that PCS and PMS are same. PCS is the old name of PMS. This time, PMS term is used for PCS.