Digitalized KAS Rumpus
By Mudasir Ahmad Gori
Kashmir is always hurled with some issue day in and day out. There is hardly any day when we do not see resentment of people across the state. One of the recent episodes of resentment is that of Civil Service Aspirants (KAS).
The JKPSC which pledges the utmost impartiality, objectivity and efficiency to carry out its work has been subjected to harsh criticism after allegations or reports of improper evaluation came to the limelight. This new process of evaluation is termed as ‘Digital Evaluation’. This issue has now offered fodder for discussion to politicians who ironically have shown no pains so far to set the scores with the candidates.
Their resentment is genuine. After all their hard work has been spoiled because of this crooked process of digitalization. One wonders, how Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission can take things for granted. It is considered as one of the main, toughest and standard state exams. Every year thousands of students do wait passionately for the advertisement so that their cherished dream of becoming an officer gets materialized. However, all their dreams seem to have been thrown to dogs to relish.
Normally their papers were early evaluated manually, with the advancement of technology, JKPSC might have thought to lessen their burden and become a little more advanced. But little did they know it will land them in trouble instead of favoring them. I am reminded of the Shayer- e Mashriq, who says:
HainDilKe Lye MoutMachenu Ki Alamat
Ehsaas e MurvatKoKuchalDeteHainYehAalaat
What has actually happened? The papers were scanned and sent to another state PSC for evaluation. There the respective scanned copies did not appear as good as they might have looked if checked as hard copies. It is presumed many of the candidates who had drawn diagrams might have looked comparatively good on the computer screen, while the answer script might have looked a little blur and then the rest is rust. After all its effect of digitalization, evaluators might have been asked to check the respective copies in just stipulated 5-7 minutes, how can one justify a booklet of more than forty pages in just 7 minutes. Is that justifying, not at all.
The JKPSC should have learned a lesson early when the controversy over the answer of a question “The Study of Mountains is Called? Was answered in the key as “Oncology”.Itsent shock waves down to the spines of literary fraternity and up until now we have miserably failed in finding a book which states, the Study of Mountains as Oncology.”How illogical of the resource persons.
Such leniency cannot and must not be taken for granted. They must pay the price for it. I admit it is unfair to paint all the walls with the same brush. However, my point is aimed at selective people who derive support from bureaucrats to earn their position in any competitive exams leaving behind the hard working candidates to hope against hopelessness.
In fact, the results of main exam of KAS are epic of many truths, half-truths and several follies. Some people went to the extent of saying “It is a lottery”. Are these competitive exams in real sense a lottery? At times if an aspirant or candidate gets dropped just by few marks he is coloured with those category of people, who did not study at all and had gone to write exams only to create an impression for their uncle’s and mama’s that he is writing KAS exams.
How can you say this, don’t you know it consumes the mid night oil of the candidates. Don’t you realize that many candidates have years preparing only for this exam? How irresponsible a statement. Have those higher ups of our state passed this exams just merely by a stroke of luck The truth is that we are providing nutritious fodder to a buffalo without thinking and caring a fig of its carrying capacity and thus reduced our system to a commercial hub.
The future of any nation banks on its youth. They are the launch pad of our state. They share the bedrock of our state. It is them who can mould the fate of our state any time. This all is possible when they are offered a fair chance. When you show impartiality and objectivity in dealing with their issues. Give them a chance and see what they can do. We have many Shah Faisals in Kashmir but just because of your leniency, their dreams of becoming another Shah Faisal have shattered altogether.
I think this is right time to listen to their wails and heed the matter as urgent. The possible options should be to recheck them manually and find how many of them qualify or let them rewrite their main exams. I can assure if you give them a fair chance to prove themselves, they will certainly outshine in any competitive exams.
The best possible way should be to handover the case to some autonomous agency other than then one which is currently supervising it. This will actually testify how far this digital evaluation is factually correct and the apprehensions of these candidates will also be answered. If they do this, may be in near future other agencies may also think of using digital evaluation in their respective exams.
It will indeed be helpful for them; if it is proven there is nothing wrong with digital evaluation. More so, the accountability of the system cannot be questioned time and again. If the system is cocksure that everything has been normal, then they must come clear on it. Their delay only makes us believe that something is seriously fishy.
(The write is a student and can be reached at [email protected])
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