Srinagar

Alleging mass irregularities in the recently announced results of the KAS (Mains) exam by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), a large number of aggrieved candidates on Wednesday staged a protest and demanded probe into the matter.

KAS aspirants staged protest alleging mass irregularities in the recently announced results of the KAS (Mains) exam by the JKPSC. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

Scores of aspirants assembled at the Press Enclave in Srinagar to register their protest against the PSC.  They have been protesting since the KAS (Mains) results were announced by the commission on December 4.

They alleged that the recent results were “full of errors and scam” because many deserving and meritorious candidates were ousted while undeserving ones were selected for the interview.

“It’s because of the new system adopted by the commission, Digital Marking, which is experimental & has already attracted litigations elsewhere,” said aspirants.

“Orissa High Court in August 2018 held that digital marking is not final and machine error warrant human intervention while delivering its judgement on a petition filed by a candidate against CBSC NEET-UGC exam,” they said.

“Even UPSC hasn’t adopted such an experimental process riddled with flaws,” they added.

“Second, the Scaling/Moderation method adopted by the commission is arbitrary & therefore doesn’t reflect true merit. The aspirants substantiate their claim with SC judgement in UP-PSC vs. Manoj Kumar Yadau Case of 2011 where SC set aside UP-PSC merit list citing wishful & arbitrary scaling,” the aspirants said.

“The notification via which the posts for KAS-2016 were published never had mention of any kind of Scaling/Moderation. The aspirants say that the commission can’t change courses during the process of the examination. It’s ultra-vire,” they said.

“Zoology-Mains-Paper was re-conducted by the commission, citing ‘Mass Copying’. The aspirants say that if candidates resort to unfair practice like mass copying, they ought to be debarred from the current as well as future exam process, as per the prescribed rules. Contrarily, the commission gave them extra time & conducted a re-exam. It is malafide. Where then some blue-eyed boys/girls entertained?,” they alleged.

“The commission is conducting the Viva Voce within 15 days from the declaration of the mains result. The aspirants say it’s unprecedented & has never happened in the history of KAS exam. If JKPSC is in hurry & strife, are they then trying to drub something fishy beneath the carpet?” said the aspirants.

“JKPSC hasn’t been entertaining even the RTI since 2014 and Xerox of answer scripts demanded by aspirants aren’t being furnished. It has made the functioning of the commission opaque & killed transparency and bred favoritism, nepotism & corruption,” the aspirants added.

“The Re-evaluation procedure is a mere hoax. As it’s only reduced to the exercise of re-counting of marks priorly allotted,” alleged aspirants.

“Pertinently, after initially denying any wrongdoing in the Preliminary exam, the commission went on to revise its own official answer key paving way for inclusion/exclusion 429 candidates. This revision then opened the Pandora box of litigations and ultimately led to quashing of KAS-Mains-2016 by the High Court. (The first time it was conducted in March 2018),” said aspirants in a statement.

In a statement the aspirants are now praying for the 3-step Grievance Redressal to the Governor:

“That, the commission be asked to halt the conduction of Viva Voce forthwith,” said aspirants.

“That, an independent judicial enquiry be constituted, to bring to fore the misdemeanors of the commission,” aspirants demanded.

“That, the Re-evaluation of Mains papers be carried out manually & preferably by the Central Merit Watch-Dog, UPSC,” they appealed.

“The aspirants also prayed to the Supreme Court & J&K HC to take cognizance of the matter & deliver prompt justice to the aggrieved aspirants. If demands not met we will resort to harsher methods of protest like a hunger strike, self-immolation and suicides and commission will be responsible for all this,” said the aspirants.

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