Mobile Internet services will remain suspended in 25 Assam districts for at least four hours each on August 21 and 28 to prevent cheating during state government recruitment exams for 30,000 Group III and IV posts.

Over 14 lakh candidates will take the tests on August 21 and 28 and September 11 in 25 of Assam’s 35 districts. The exams on the first two days will be held from 10am to 12 noon and from 2pm to 4pm.

The decision was taken at a virtual meeting chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. It has not yet been decided whether mobile Internet will be blocked also on September 11, when exams for drivers’ posts will be held.

Wired Internet services will be available as usual.

Mobile Internet can be used to leak question papers or receive answers. The state government is being extra careful after a question paper leak during the recruitment of 597 sub-inspectors in 2020 had left it red-faced.

All candidates and invigilators would be barred from carrying mobile phones or any other electronic gadgets into the exam centres. Only the centres-in-charge can carry mobile phones for use during exigencies.

Two videographers will be engaged at each centre.

Sarma has apologised to the public for the bar on mobile Internet services. “It is also important to ensure that only the deserving get into service,” he said.

There will be a nodal officer in each of the 25 districts where the exams are to be held, along with a gazetted officer as an observer. A sub-inspector of police, assisted by other police personnel, will be posted at each centre.

The superintendents of police have been asked to keep their intelligence networks active to pre-empt any move to disturb the exam process.