Srinagar, Apr 12: Jammu and Kashmir Public Service has detected discrepancies in a paper of the Combined Services (Main) Examination held on March 22.
 The discrepancies came to light after a section of the candidates complained to the Commission that there were some discrepancies in the Agriculture Paper-I of the Combined Services examination conducted on March 22.
 On scrutiny, the Commission has detected the discrepancies and asked the candidates to opt for re-exanimation, if they want. “The Commission after considering the matter has decided to seek the candidates’ choice whether they would like sit for re-examination in this paper (Agriculture-I) or want to be evaluated on the basis of examination in the said paper held on 22.03-2010,” reads the PSC notification No PSC/EXAM/40/10 dated 08.04-2010.
 The candidates have been advised to submit their options in writing in a specific format before the Controller of Examinations, PSC, by 15 April 2010.
 Sources said the PSC move has drawn flak from the aggrieved candidates, who want the paper to be re-examined for all the candidates as the “discrepancies were of serious nature.”
 “The candidates are of the view that there has been severe alteration in the selection of certain questions for the paper. For example, they feel the questions supposed to be in Paper I as per the syllabus were in Paper II and also most of the questions were out-of-syllabus, which is against the rules and curriculum,” they said.
 The aggrieved candidates demand that the PSC should make the discrepancies public to ensure transparency. “We saw the advertisement in the newspapers seeking re-examination in the paper. But nowhere has the PSC mentioned what the discrepancies are. In this age of Right to the Information, how can the PSC hide information from public and put the credibility of the entire examination process at stake,” the candidates, who requested not to be named, said.
 More than 800 candidates had reportedly appeared in the Agriculture paper in Jammu and Kashmir.
 The candidates said they would move the Court if the PSC doesn’t apprise the public about the discrepancies. “We are also filing an application under the Right to Information Act to seek details about the discrepancies,” they said.
 The PSC officials, however, have a different take on the issue. “We got the matter inquired by a panel of experts, which has given its opinion about the issue. It is in the light of this opinion that we have asked the candidates to give their options regarding re-examination,” said a senior official, pleading anonymity.
 He said the move was candidate-friendly. “If somebody has done his paper nicely, why should we punish him and ask him to appear in the examination again. So we deemed it appropriate to keep the options open for the candidates,” the official said.
 Candidates however believe that such discrepancies should have been avoided prior to the examination. “Such mistakes mar the future of candidates who burn midnight oil to pass this examination,” they said, adding, “The PSC has put a question on the credibility of the whole selection process as these mistakes are of grave nature and can mar the the future of the student community.”
 Meanwhile, the PSC sources said the examiners who have set the Agriculture paper were likely to be debarred forever from the PSC assignments of “evaluation and paper setting.”

Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST