Candidates of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission combined preliminary examination 2017 that was scrapped held a peaceful protest march and squatted in front of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) office on Tuesday.
The group of candidates marched from the IG Park tennis court to the Commission’s office, and submitted a memorandum after meeting APPSC members.
One of the protesting candidates said during the meeting, they demanded the commission to reveal the names of those responsible for setting the question papers.
“The commission claimed that the task of setting the question paper was outsourced to a firm and assured to break ties with the firm”, the protestor said.
Also questioning the Commission’s appeal to the State Government on December 18 last to introduce the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) format, the candidates said there is no clarity on when the government would pass the order, and that they have spent months preparing for their optional papers.
“It could take months or even over a year for the government to decide on its introduction. The candidates have spent a lot of money on coaching and months to prepare for their optional subjects. It would be unfair at such a crucial juncture,” the member said.
The candidates appealed to the Commission to introduce the CSAT format from the next time onward, instead of introducing it in haste in the current examination.
The Commission on its part asked the candidates to submit the appeal in writing, so that the Commission could consider it.
APPSC Chairman Tajom Taloh said that the Commission would look into the memorandum and examine the points before taking any action.
Other demands of the candidates include setting up an independent inquiry committee within a week to find the root cause of the chaos; stern disciplinary action against erring officials or agencies; a yearly calendar for all examinations; fresh examinations within the next four to five months, with prior notification of at least two months; proper moderation and scaling of question papers; deputation of trained and expert invigilators, so that there is strict prohibition of mobile phone usage inside the examination halls; and restriction on double-seating arrangements.