Srinagar, Sep 15: The aspirants of the Assistant Professor Mathematics subject for the Higher Education Department (HED) in J&K have complained that the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) conducted the exam while framing “out of syllabus” questions in the paper.
The aspirants said the examination conducted on September 10 this year was marred by irregularities, including the distribution of a question paper that was substantially out of syllabus. In wake of this, the aspirants have demanded that the examination for the particular subject be held afresh to ensure fairness and integrity.
The aspirants said the JKPSC issued two separate notifications for Assistant Professor vacancies in various disciplines, including Mathematics, in HED and the Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET). “Each notification contained distinct syllabi tailored to the specific requirements of the positions in these two different departments. This divergence in syllabi was recognized as essential, as the positions demanded varied skill sets, with one focusing on analytical aspects and the other on applied aspects of mathematics,” the aspirants said.
They said that despite the glaring differences in the syllabi, the examination for the Assistant Professor (Mathematics) post in the HED, which was conducted on September 10, 2023, shockingly featured questions that were unmistakably designed for the GCET syllabus. “The aspirants were perplexed as they found themselves grappling with questions unrelated to their prescribed syllabus, further compromising the integrity of the examination,” the aspirants complained.
The aspirants said a significant number of questions were incorrect or had misleading options in the answer key, amounting to more than 20 percent of the total questions.
“The combination of out-of-syllabus questions and incorrect items in the question paper has raised serious doubts about the fairness and validity of the examination,” the aspirants said. The aspirants have demanded that the exam be conducted afresh in accordance with the correct syllabus in a justified manner.
“We have already asked the authorities in JKPSC to reevaluate its stance and address our grievances promptly. The integrity of the examination process must be preserved to ensure that qualified candidates are selected for the Assistant Professor (Mathematics) positions in the HED fairly and transparently,” the candidates said.
An official at JKPSC said they have received such complaints in case of several subjects and the complaints have been forwarded to the team of experts. “Not only mathematics, but candidates who appeared in the Assistant Professor exam for Chemistry subject also had some grievances. All these grievances are being looked into,” he said.
Chairman JKPSC, Satish Chandra when contacted said the grievance of the Assistant Professor aspirants regarding out of syllabus questions has been referred to the team of experts for their report. “Once the expert team submits the report we will come to know the actual scenario and will take the appropriate decision accordingly,” JKPSC Chairman told Greater Kashmir.
