PWD Full Form

Sudeshna chakrabartiUpdated On: August 02, 2023 10:17 am IST

The full form of PWD is the Public Works Department and is regarded as one of the most crucial sectors. The PWD is responsible for undertaking projects that concern offering basic necessities to the people of India. Their work includes repairing, maintaining the water supply, and developing buildings, in fact, any issues associated with government establishments like hospitals or schools are resolved by PWD. 

What is the Full Form of PWD?

As discussed above, PWD full form is the Public Work Department. A PWD officer is expected to be involved in infrastructure facilities therefore a candidate must hail from electrical, civil, mechanical or architectural engineering streams. UPSC or Union Public Service Commission conducts exams for the PWD aspirants. 

This is perhaps one of the most crucial and challenging sectors hence selected candidates need to prove their prowess by undergoing a 52 weeks training session. The training is meant to sharpen the skills of engineers, horticulturists and architects.

Primarily, you will come across four categories in PWD which include:

  • Construction of flyovers, and highways and ensuring road safety.
  • Construction and maintenance of bridges.
  • Development and maintenance of drinking water.
  • Construction and repairs of government buildings.

What is PWD?

The Public Works Department also popularly termed as PWD majorly works in both residential as well as commercial infrastructure domains. Be it the flyovers, bridges, government offices or border roads, this department serves as the chief consultant. Each state has a PWD and some of the officers even act as engineering consultants. 

As this department remains accountable for some crucial functions hence the position is divided into four major categories which will be discussed later in the article.

Every year PWD, the full form of which is Public Works Department conducts examinations to fill up different positions in the department. The aspirants can keep a track of their official websites as the dates and online application forms are released on their official sites. Well, before you move ahead with the application forms, please check the eligibility criteria. 

A Short Dive into the History of PWD in India

The Public Works Department (PWD full form) has an interesting and enlightening history. Since British rule in India, PWD had existed and was responsible for handling irrigation projects like canals, reservoirs and dams. The military board of the imperial government used to supervise the work of the PW department and a mismanagement incident led them to form a commission in 1850 in different presidencies to ensure proper operation.

In 1866, PWD got segregated into three branches including Railway, Military and Civil. Lord Lawrence, the governor-general during the period introduced the concept of borrowing from the public to serve them better. The year 1895 proved a remarkable phase for PWD as the mIlitary got separated from the department and therefore PWD transformed into a civil department that indulged in construction and maintenance works. 

PWD Overview/Highlights

PWD Full Form

Public Works Department

Age limit for PWD exam

18-45 years

Exam mode

Pen and paper based exam

NO. of papers

2 (General & technical paper)

Duration

180 minutes

What are the Different Hats a PWD Officer Wears?

  • A PWD in each state handles the designing, development and maintenance of roads, highways and commercial buildings. In case of any loopholes in an old building, they are responsible for reconstructing them as per safety guidelines.
  • Providing safe and clean drinking water to the people is another significant responsibility of the department. 
  • Besides construction, the department ensures a swift and proper transportation system. Suppose, the existing road transportation system is faulty, the PWD, full form of which is the public works department, upgrades the system.
  • They often had to carry out government building projects as part of the beautification or development of a city.

Skills Required by a PWD Officer

Public Works Department (PWD full form)is an important organisation ensuring projects concerning road development or water-related facilities are conducted effectively. PWD officers must possess a set of skills that will help them manage engineers and other personnel in a better manner. Let’s delve deeper into the skills that an officer working in PWD needs to possess.

Project Management Skills

Every public world department officer needs to be efficient in managing projects. They need to monitor and keep track of the task of their fellow personnel so that a project can be completed within the stipulated time. Completing public work requires officers to be vigilant both in assigning and supervising tasks and keep checking from time to time progress.

Communication Skills

It is another vital skill PWD officer requires as they have to negotiate with vendors, contractors and people to resolve issues related to public works without any delay. It is vital for a PWD officer to clearly communicate the aims or objectives of a specific project to both the members of a community as well as within the department.

Time Management Skills

Completing road development or any other public work projects requires abiding by a timeline. PWD officers are responsible for completing projects within deadlines and maintaining budgetary limits. They need to prioritize tasks based on certain deadlines.

Salary Structure for PWD Officers

Designation

Experience

Salary (approx.)

Civil site engineer

1-5

1.2-3.0L/yr

Technical support engineer

1-2

12.5-15.5L/yr

Architectural engineer

2-3

22.5-37.5L/yr

Executive engineer

7-8

10.5-15 L/yr

PWD Recruitment  Exam Eligibility Criteria 

UPSC conducts exams for the PWD aspirants. Before applying for the PWD examination, it is essential to check PWD eligibility criteria because cancellation of candidature is inevitable in case you don’t fulfill the eligibility requirements. Please check the below-mentioned criteria before applying.

  • The candidate must be a citizen of India.
  • The applicants must belong to the age group of 18-45.
  • The minimum education qualification required to apply for PWD is 12th from a recognized board.
  • Candidates applying for engineering positions must hold an engineering degree like B.Tech or B.E from a recognized university.

Application Details for PWD Recruitment Exam

To begin with the PWD recruitment application fill-up process, the aspirants need to visit the official website of the Public Works Department (PWD full form). The candidates have to provide details about their educational qualifications and some personal information. Remember, once you enter the details you won’t get options for editing therefore enter the details carefully. 

Please follow the below-mentioned steps to complete the online application process for PWD recruitment.

  • For form fill-up, candidates need to visit their state's PWD website.
  • Go to the apply online option 
  • Enter the details carefully
  • Click on submit button

After submitting the form, the candidates need to make the fee payment because the registration process will remain incomplete without the payment. Fees can be paid through an online money transferring system and also by using a debit card. 

PWD Exam Pattern

PWD exam is conducted in pen-and-paper mode. Candidates who clear the written test will further need to appear for interviews. For some higher posts, online exams are also available, however, it needs to be checked on the official site of PWD. The candidates have to answer questions based on both technical and general topics. The total allotted time to complete the paper is 180 minutes. 

PWD Recruitment Exam Syllabus

As far as PWD, full form of which is the public works department, syllabus is concerned, it will be the same for the general paper for each candidate, however, technical papers will vary according to the post a candidate has applied for. In the general paper, examinees need to cover general awareness, language and reasoning.

Job Roles in PWD

As you already know that PWD, the full form of which is the Public Works Department, has various departments handled by eminent teams. To help you understand the various job roles that one can take up in PWD, let’s check the below-mentioned points.

  • Engineer in chief

 It is an executive and responsible position in PWD. They are regarded as the head of any department that includes electrical, water and other wings. An engineer-in-chief is responsible for planning and setting budgets for projects undertaken by this organisation.

  • Chief Engineer

They are known to coordinate with gazetted officers for passing TA bills and medical claims. Chief engineers are expected to exercise technical, administrative and other powers by adequately abiding by the PWD code of conduct. One of the important roles played by these executive posts is supervising the designing and planning of the national highway wing.

  • Superintending Engineer

Superintending engineers work under the engineer-in-chief, and their responsibility is to oversee the operations conducted by their subordinate team members. They also ensure that the instruction provided by the engineer-in-chief is followed by officers working under him.

  • Executive Engineer

An executive engineer is responsible for working towards the maintenance of roads and buildings designated to him in his division. He needs to prepare reports whereby the repair works are to be mentioned. They are required to keep a check on the finances spent on maintenance work.

  • Assistant Engineer

Assistant Engineers are the in-charges of subdivisions and help the executive engineer in the management of works undertaken by PWD. They scrutinise the measurements and finances presented by junior engineers. 

Another Full Form of PWD

Another full form of PWD is a person with a disability, and it is a category which takes into account individuals diagnosed with mental, sensory or physical impairments. In India, PWDs can be classified into:

  • Cerebral palsy
  • Hearing impairment
  • Mental retardation
  • Visual impairment

To enable people with disabilities to lead a life without discrimination and dependency, the government of India has set certain relaxations for specially-abled people in various govt service exams.  

FAQs

What is the full-form of PWD?

The full-form of PWD is the Public Works Department.

 

Who started the PW department in India?

Lord Dalhousie founded the Public Works Department in July 1854.

 

What are the services provided by the PWD?

PWD is responsible for constructing, repairing and maintaining government buildings, roads, flyovers and also oversees safe drinking water facilities.

 

Who is eligible to become a PWD officer?

The aspirants must be a citizen of India and must hold a graduation degree from a reputed university.

 

How to download admit cards for the PWD recruitment exam?

You can download the admit card from the official website of PWD.

 

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