Securing question papers

Leakage of question paper of the written test for recruitment of Sub Inspectors in the Assam Police leading to cancellation of the examination has left around thousands of aspiring candidates dejected and frustrated. It has also raised a possibility that the Assam Police may have overlooked insider threat in the organization. An insider threat, when ignored and underestimated, poses a grave threat to an organization's integrity. It may involve current or former employees, business associates, contractors who have access to inside information of the organization and failure to detect it carries the risk compromising security of vital information. The papers were reportedly in police custody in different districts till 11.30 am while the examination was scheduled from 12 noon to 3 pm. The State Level Police Recruitment Board has stated that the question paper was leaked and circulated on a social media network before the start of the examination. The examination was scheduled at 154 centres across the state. The State Government has ordered a probe into the leak and directed the Assam Police to nab the culprits. The Board has lodged a First Information Report with the Criminal Investigation Department, Assam and announced that the new dates of the examination will be announced within next one month. The state government has not ruled out the possibility of a conspiracy to sabotage the recruitment process. The angle of a criminal gang running a recruitment racket or leaking question paper in lieu of money also needs to be investigated as similar rackets were busted in the past in some states. The probe must be conducted swiftly to bring the culprits to book. The incident has also put the spotlight on the debate if the online system of sending question papers is a better alternative to the system of dispatching hardcopies of question papers and storing at secured places before delivering to the examination centres on the day of examination to prevent paper leaks. The University of Mumbai introduced Digital Exam Paper Delivery System in 2013 after a series of paper leaks. Under the system colleges needed to download the questions papers sent to them online using the passwords, take printouts, and photocopy the paper for distribution among the candidates in the examination halls. In the upgraded security system of digital exam paper delivery system of the university, the colleges need to download the papers through facial recognition and pass codes sent to registered mobile numbers. Power failure, slow internet connection and snag in photocopying machines are huge challenges in timely distribution of question papers sent online and will require backup solutions like the examination centres equipped with uninterrupted power supply and dedicated leased internet connection and back up photocopiers. Besides, digital delivery of the examination papers does not require physical storing of the hard copies and, therefore, eliminates the logistical costs involved in physical transportation as well as the need to deploy of a substantial strength of police personnel for escorting and guarding them at police stations till delivered securely to the examination centres. The police recruitment board has assured around 66,000 candidates of the SI recruitment test that re-examination will be free and fair and urged the candidates to continue with the preparations. Recruitment to various vacant posts in the Assam Police is long overdue and the force to effectively respond to emerging dynamics of crimes and law and order need a robust organization operating with full sanctioned strength. The latest available data of the Bureau of Police Research Development on police organization show that against sanctioned strength of 78,898 of total civil and armed police posts, the actual strength of Assam Police was 64,998 as on January 1, 2019. The report published in December 2019 shows that against 30 per cent of the sanctioned strength reserved for women, the actual strength of women in the force is 6.22 per cent. Women population per policewoman in the state is 4029. Against sanctioned police-population ratio of 236.39 police personnel per lakh population the actual police-population ratio is 194.74. Fair recruitment process in police is critical to building and sustaining the trust of general public that the state has the highly professional staff to protect their lives and property from criminals and antisocial. A police force that is smart, highly professional and dedicated from the top to the bottom can ensure a healthy police-public relationship which is considered vital to preventing crimes. From school leaving examinations, various university examinations to important selection tests of various government recruitment, the Assam Police is entrusted with the safe custody of examination papers till they deliver them to the examination centres. The Assam Police cannot allow incidents like paper leak of recruitment tests to affect its image and leave any room for speculation on its integrity. For Assam Police, conducting a fair examination for recruitment in the organization is an obligation.