Candidates repose faith in APSC

CCE 2016

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, July 7: Majority of the candidates who recently appeared for the prelimiry written test of Combined Competitive Exams (CCE), 2016 for Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Allied Services, conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), are confident they will come out with flying colours, provided the results are based purely on merit and not on “any other extraneous criteria”.

Sources told The Sentinel that such confidence among candidates can be attributed to several examition reform initiatives recently undertaken or currently being implemented by the APSC. The credibility of APSC was at an all-time low in recent years following alleged corruption and unfair practices that took place in the recruitment of ACS and Allied Services candidates. Reform initiatives were initiated in early part of this year after APSC Chairman Rakesh Paul and few other officials of the commission were arrested on charges of involvement in the cash-for-job scam. 

The APSC on Sunday conducted the prelimiry written test for CCE, 2016 for ACS and Allied Services. Altogether 52,436 candidates appeared for the test conducted at 112 examition centres spread across 22 districts in the State. In the last CCE (2015), a total of 17,856 candidates had appeared. Sources said the sharp rise in the number of candidates for this year’s exam is evident of the greater faith candidates have started reposing on the APSC.

“Initially, when the APSC published advertisement for conducting the CCE, 2016 there was an apprehension among the Commission officials that not many candidates would apply, given the controversies of the recent past. However, much to our relief, most of the applicants have expressed confidence that the examition will be free and fair, and that merit, nothing else, will be the sole criteria in selection of candidates in the entire examition process which has three stages — prelimiry, mains and interview,” the Commission source said. Candidates will be selected for 205 ACS and Allied Services posts through CCE, 2016.

A huge rush of candidates to appear for the prelimiry exam was witnessed this time despite the fact that applications were not accepted online this year as the APSC’s server and other technical equipment were in custody of the police probing the cash-for-job scam.

Sources said the APSC is trying to hold the CCE on the UPSC model and interviews are being conducted through lottery to ensure that there is no scope for favouritism.

“The APSC is also planning to give more say to experts by abolishing the grade system and allowing the experts to award marks instead. The commission will divide viva voce marks equally among the board and experts. Earlier, the experts used to give grades and were allotted lesser marks than the board,” the source said. 

A postgraduate from Gauhati University who sat for the prelimiry test of CCE 2016 said, “I had appeared for the CCE, 2015 and failed to clear the mains. But this time I am confident of clearing all the three stages of CCE 2016 purely on merit.”