KAS exam row: JKPSC to issue fresh notification
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC) is likely to issue fresh notification within two days to notify dates for holding KAS 2016 Mains exams afresh. The move comes after the state High Court stayed the main exams.
Officials said that PSC will comply with the High Court orders and issue fresh schedule for holding Mains exams.
“Fresh dates will be notified within two days,” a PSC member said, wishing not to be named.
He said the commission has to now allow over 1400 candidates who were not earlier declared qualified for the mains exams.
“PSC commission will convene a meeting in this regard and will chalk out plan for holding Mains exams afresh,” he said, adding that they will invite applications from earlier dropped candidates.
“After submission of forms by applicants, it will take us some time for scrutiny and other formalities. And we also have to give some preparation time to those candidates as well,” he said.
It may be recalled that High Court earlier in its judgment stated that a ‘mess’ was created in the conduct of the examination by the Commission and public interest has been put at jeopardy.
The Court said the PSC was the premier recruiting agency of the State and it cannot tamper with the career of thousands of aspirants who burn mid night oil for making a livelihood.
Interestingly, after holding preliminary examination, the PSC vide the Notification No. PSC/Exam/2017/22 dated 23.04.2017 declared 6925 out of 47000 candidates to have qualified for KAS Mains Examination. The cut-off mark was declared as 270.477 out of aggregate of 450 marks.
However, after considering representations of candidates on wrong answer key, the Commission issued a revised list with cut off merit 277.275 as a result of which 429 candidates who were figuring in un-revised list were excluded.
Pertinently, the authorities in PSC conducted the KAS 2016 Mains exams without allowing the ousted 429 candidates to participate. In the meantime the High Court on Tuesday directed the PSC to cancel the ongoing KAS mains examination and hold this test afresh.
A division bench of Justice Janak Raj Kotwal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar Shukla directed the Public Service Commission (PSC) to conduct the examination afresh after disposing off an appeal filed by the PSC against its single bench order allowing 429 candidates to appear in the mains examination.
“We direct the cancellation of the main examination at whatever stage it is as on date and direct the appellant (PSC) to hold the main examination afresh,” said the Bench.
The court directed the PSC to permit the candidates (429), who have been shortlisted to participate in the preliminary examination on the basis of their merit determined upon re-evaluation of the preliminary exam.
It also directed the PSC to allow 2365 candidates who have obtained higher merit in the process of reevaluation equal to or more than the marks secured by the last candidate amongst 429 candidates.
“Since the examination in question has been delayed due to litigation, we hope and trust that the appellant (PSC) make immediate steps to hold the main examination and complete the whole process culminating into declaration of result without any further wastage of time,” the bench said.
Meanwhile, chairman PSC Lateef U Zaman Deva said the commission will hold a meeting tomorrow and decide future course of action.
“Given the High Court directions we have deferred the exams and will decide tomorrow whether we will approach Supreme Court or issue fresh notification for Mains exams,” he said.
KV Correspondent
