For the first time in 14 years, government human resource managers will have a new tool at their disposal when hiring employees.

China is setting up a database which contains the information of people caught cheating on the country's annual central government civil servant exam.

"We are building the database," an official from the State Administration of Civil Service said on Wednesday. He did not give a specific date for the project's completion.

Cheater's names and identification card numbers will be put into a database to serve as a recruiting reference for central and local governments, according to the official, who declined to be named. Also on the list will be information from those caught violating recruitment rules.

"Though all the applicants promised to be honest upon application, we still found some of them violating examination rules," the official said. But he refused to reveal the exact number involved or give an estimation.

"Some individuals cheated by using wireless apparatus such as walkie-talkies or cell phones."

All of the applicants who violated recruitment rules were given a "zero score" on the exam. Those with serious misbehavior such as plagiarism were banned from applying for official posts for five years.

Without giving an exact date, the official said the administration will publicize punishments for those caught violating recruitment rules. More harsh consequences were an attempt to curb irregularities and ensure fair and transparent enrollment.

The results for the written exam would be announced on Jan. 10. Those who pass, will enter into the interview round.

Everyone's scores, whether they cheated or not, will be in the new database.

A record 1.05 million people applied to take the 2009 central government recruitment written exam on November 30 last year. That number surpasses the 800,000 people who register for 2008's exam, figures from the administration showed.

A total of 775,000 people actually took the exam which qualifies them for 13,500 national civil servant jobs. That means 57 people were competing for one position.

China has been organizing civil servant recruitment examinations every year since 1994. Its purpose is to enroll more qualified personnel to fill government department vacancies.

The interview process will be concluded by March 15 of this year, according to the official.

A government post is still considered a popular job for university graduates and other Chinese job-seekers as it offers a stable income, social status and viable welfare.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2009)