Jammu: To stay ahead of prospective saboteurs and avoid litigations, cancellations of exams or selection process, JKSSB has brought in “twin admit cards” and infused a dominant role of technical experts in its functioning, including monitoring, to reduce human interventions.
As exclusively reported by Greater Kashmir in its December 14 edition, these initiatives are part of “many firsts” including “third party audit”, installation of jammers and technical squads, Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has introduced.
All these moves are aimed at removing the chinks in the examination/selection process.
JKSSB chairman Rajesh Sharma, in an interview with Greater Kashmir, stated that the innovative practices, brought for the first time to J&K, would become an integral part of examination and selection process of board to make them transparent and fool-proof.
“In fact, we will keep evolving these practices even in future to reduce scope of interference by the ‘external agencies’ in the recruitment process. As far as the ongoing exam process is concerned, Admit Cards are being issued at two stages – first seven days prior to the exam revealing only the city and second, three days prior to the exam depicting the name of the designated centre,” he informed.
“At each centre, the General Administration Department has deputed observers. They are Deputy Secretary-level (and above) senior officers. There will be one observer for each centre. Then the Deputy Commissioners have also appointed one person at each centre and this is also for the first time that they have appointed technical persons. They are having computer knowledge, holding MCA or MSc (IT) degrees. There will be one such technical person at every centre,” SSB chairman stated.
“Besides, we identify these computer centres where these exams are to be conducted. The company provides us the list and we undertake some kind of investigation in collaboration with the concerned agencies to ensure that the centres with credibility and unblemished track-record are allowed to conduct the exams. We have also hired another agency The Ernst and Young LLP, which is auditing the overall process (procedures) of the company hired for conducting exams, at all stages. This is the “Third-party audit.” This arrangement has been opted by JKSSB for the first time, taking a cue from national level recruiting agencies. So this is another check,” he said.
“To foil attempts to use mobiles or blue-tooth devices, we have installed jammers at each centre. Again it is for the first time in J&K and for that we have obtained the permission of the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. Once the exam starts, after five or ten minutes, the jammers are put to use and all the mobile network stops functioning,” Sharma said.
In addition, one JKSSB officer will be there at every centre for coordinating purposes. Four to five junior level officers, being headed by one senior member, will be there further supervising their coordination. “The Information Technology (IT) department has deputed some people, both at Jammu and Srinagar. We have also constituted flying squads, again they are technical people. During the exam, the flying squad is moving from centre to centre, both at Srinagar and Jammu. So we have tried to introduce these things as checks to ensure free and fair exams,” he said.