The Public Service Commission’s plan to conduct exams in multiple stages has backfired for candidates, according to RTI documents. Candidates in stages 3 and 5 of the preliminary examination for posts requiring a 10th class qualification were disqualified en masse. These stages reportedly had harder questions than the other four stages, leading to allegations of unequal treatment. The exam took place over several months last year, and those who met the cutoff marks proceeded to the main exam. However, the least qualified candidates for three posts, including LD Clerk and Village Field Assistant, were from stage 5. The PSC claimed that consolidation of marks would ensure equal opportunity for all candidates, but the RTI documents suggest otherwise. The PSC has faced criticism over its testing system in recent years, including allegations of improper consolidation of marks. The new system has also eliminated the opportunity for failed candidates to try again for other posts.
Kozhikode ∙ The Public Service Commission’s experiment of conducting an examination in several stages has backfired for the candidates. The RTI documents show that in the preliminary examination conducted in 6 stages for the posts requiring 10th class qualifications, those in stages 3 and 5 were thrown out en masse. These are the people who had to face tougher questions than the other four stages.
Last year the exams were from May to July. Those who get the specified cutoff marks qualify for the main exam. Bawridges Corporation (Bawco) has published the list of qualified candidates to appear in the main examination for the posts of LD Clerk, Village Field Assistant and Last Grade. The least qualified for all three posts are from stage 5; After that, the least number of people qualified from the third stage.
In all the three posts, the maximum number of people qualified from the fourth stage. Only half of them qualified from the fifth stage. The candidates have decided to approach the court alleging that they did not receive equal justice in the same examination.
Considering that there are 12 lakh applicants, PSC has conducted the preliminary exam in 6 stages. Complaints were raised that questions of the same quality were not asked at all stages. Pointing out that the candidates will be out in mass, on July 4, 2022, ‘Exam One; Malayalam Manorama had published a news item on the front page under the title of ‘Manujaya Palat’. But the then PSC Chairman MK Zakir’s explanation was that this was just a concern and when unification of marks was done, candidates of all stages would get equal opportunity. RTI documents show that this claim was false.
2 years back, the system of conducting a single preliminary examination for all posts with similar qualifications and a main examination for those who qualify from it was implemented. It has already been alleged that the consolidation of marks for 2 years was not done properly. Earlier, even if you did not pass the exam for any post, you could write the exam for other posts. That opportunity was lost with the advent of the new method.
English summary: Flaws in PSC priliminary test
The Public Service Commission’s approach of conducting an examination in several stages has turned out to be counterproductive for the candidates as they did not receive equal justice. The RTI documents indicate that in the preliminary examination, candidates in stages three and five had to face tougher questions than the other four stages, and as a result, those in those stages were thrown out en masse. The candidates are incensed with the shuffle of conducting a single preliminary examination for all posts with similar qualifications and not consolidating marks for two years effectively. This situation has given rise to many complaints and accusations of injustice, which the PSC should address if they want to maintain their credibility in the future.