The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), which has remained in the headlines for the wrong reasons for the past several years, on Thursday declared results for the Combined Civil Services (Mains) examination, 2023. This is a very positive development, as the Government of Assam has assured of pulling the APSC out of the morass by way of appointing spotless persons as members and ensuring that all recruitments conducted by the APSC are free of scams and irregularities. The selection of candidates for various government posts by the APSC had been under way for several decades. There was a time when candidates whose parents were in the state service apparently enjoyed an edge over other candidates. From the late 1980s onwards, there have been allegations of some members and chairpersons being themselves corrupt and thus allegedly indulging in corrupt practices while selecting candidates for various government jobs. This reached a peak during the tenure of Rakesh Paul, who was handpicked by then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Things came to such a point that Paul, who was elevated by Gogoi to the post of Chairman of the APSC, had to be arrested, along with two other members, for their alleged involvement in a massive jobs-for-cash scandal. Unfortunately, investigations into that huge scandal have yet to be completed, despite a report submitted by a commission headed by a retired high court judge. Many people who got jobs the wrong way are still serving across Assam. This time round, as has happened in recruitments in the past three or four years, is expected to be fair and clean. The glory and sanctity of APSC must be restored. And the culprits must be punished.