Guwahati, May 29: Civil service examinee Mampi Nath has finally received justice.
She will be able to sit for the main examination of the state civil services (Combined Competitive Examination, 2014) on Sunday after the re-evaluation ordered by Gauhati High Court saw her prelims score increase by four marks. During the re-evaluation, it was found that the Assam Public Service Commission had failed to award her marks for four correct answers.
The high court had ordered the commission to place her two answer scripts of general studies and education for scrutiny by an expert after she filed a petition saying there were discrepancies in the official answers to certain questions in the two papers, which affected her total score.
Advocates J. Roy and R. Hazarika appeared in the court on her behalf.
The result of the preliminary exam was declared on December 17 last year.
The commission had submitted in the court that under its examination rules, there is no provision for re-examination of answer scripts since experienced, senior academicians did the evaluation. The court, however, rejected this argument and ordered re-evaluation of her answers to five questions. Of these, the expert found four answers (two each in general studies and education) correct. This particular instance has once again cast doubts on the efficacy of the commission in conducting such exams. It is already in the eye of a controversy with various organisations alleging corruption and favouritism in selection of candidates for the CCE-2013, whose final results were declared recently.
In a related development, Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) today announced that over 500 of its members and supporters would protest in Guwahati on June 5 demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged anomaly in the CCE-2013.
The union demanded immediate removal of commission chairman Rakesh Paul and principal controller of examinations A. Nanda Babu Singha. They demanded introduction of checks and balance in the commission to make it corruption-free.
AJYCP president Manoj Baruah alleged that the commission, supposed to be one of the most revered institutions having powers to select suitable candidates for crucial posts in the state machinery, has turned into a "market" where posts are given to "unworthy ones" in exchange for large sums of money
Baruah said because of rampant corruption in the commission, talented youths had lost faith in the system. He alleged that despite the corruption, chief minister Tarun Gogoi had not taken any steps to remove its top officials. He threatened the union would launch a statewide agitation if the state government does not fulfill their demands.
Official sources said heads are likely to roll in the commission owing to the raging controversy over irregularities in selection of candidates since it has become a source of embarrassment for the Tarun Gogoi government ahead of next year's Assembly polls.
Additional reporting by Rajiv Konwar
