*All keys being referred to independent experts
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 14: Finding itself in dock following detection of discrepancies in question papers and answer keys, Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) today kept in abeyance the result of Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2016 and withdrew notification for main examination. Moreover, the Commission has decided to refer all the question papers and answer keys to the independent experts for evaluation.
EXCELSIOR in today’s edition has exclusively highlighted that uncertainty looms large over 6925 candidates, who have recently cleared the Combine Competitive (Preliminary) Examination as the Commission is going to get question papers as well as answer keys of all the 23 subjects evaluated from the independent experts following detection of discrepancies in certain subjects.
After conducting J&K Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination 2016 on March 19, 2017 under J&K Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination Rules, 2008, the Public Service Commission received a number of representations from candidates in various subjects with regard to perception/understanding of the candidates about inaccuracies, ambiguity and wrong options, mistakes and printing errors in the questions.
Accordingly, in pursuance to Rule 12(A) of J&K Public Service Commission (Conduct of Examination) Rules, 2005, these ambiguities were referred to a team of experts comprising of not less than two experts in each subject and based on their final findings, the result of J&K Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination was declared on April 23, 2017.
However, after the announcement of result the Commission again received various deputations/representations and applications under the J&K Right to Information Act of 2009 from KAS aspirants with regard to the discrepancies in question papers and answer keys of Preliminary Examination.
As the discrepancies even after final findings of two experts in each subject put the Commission in the dock and drew widespread criticism about its functioning, the Commission in its extraordinary meeting has decided to refer the question papers and answer keys to the independent/3rd party subject experts for re-looking and revisiting them in order to find out discrepancies if any.
“The consequential action, if any, warranted will be taken by the Commission after the receipt of findings from the subject experts”, read the notice issued by Sunita Anand, Secretary, J&K Public Service Commission today, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
“In view of all this aspects, the result notified for J&K Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination, 2016 on April 23, 2017 has been kept in abeyance and the Notification No.PSC/exam/ 2017/26 dated May 9, 2017 along with notice dated June 6, 2017 for inviting applications for the J&K Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2016 have been withdrawn”, the notice further reads and adds the next date for main examination will be notified after receipt of report from the team of subject experts.
“If the ambiguities detected earlier were referred to a team of experts comprising of not less than two experts in each subject and result of preliminary examination was declared on the basis of their final findings then how come more discrepancies were noticed following representations and applications from the KAS aspirants”, sources asked and stressed that this aspect should also be looked into so as to fix the responsibility for the prevailing situation.
They said that more problems would emerge for the Public Service Commission on the receipt of reports from the independent experts and issuance of fresh result. As already reported by EXCELSIOR, in the process of preparation of result afresh on the basis of findings of independent experts the possibility of candidates who have cleared the examination as per the result declared on April 23, 2017, not finding their names in the fresh list cannot be ruled out.
In such a situation floodgates of litigations will get opened and stall the entire process for unspecified period as disposal of litigations generally takes time.
It is pertinent to mention here that 36,681 candidates appeared in both the papers in the Preliminary Examination and a total of 6925 candidates were declared successful for the admission to the J&K Combine Competitive (Main) Examination on the basis of their performance in the examination held on March 19, 2016 and in terms of Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 8 of J&K Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2008 as amended from time to time.Clashes in Pulwama
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