Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday stayed a notification by J&K Public Service Commission regarding revised result of combined competitive (preliminary) examination 2016 for Kashmir Administrative Service. A single bench of Justice M K Hanjura also issued a notice to the Commission and directed it to file response within four weeks to a petition filed by aggrieved candidates who had made to the earlier list but were dropped later.
36,681 candidates out of 47,122 applicants had appeared in both the papers in the preliminary examination held on 19 March this year. 6925 candidates were declared to have qualified for main examination and the last cut off point was 270.477 out of aggregate of 450 marks.
Immediately after declaration of results, the commission received various deputations and representations as well as applications under the J&K RTI Act 2009 from KAS aspirants with regard to the discrepancies in question paper and answer keys.
The commission said that it was alleged in the media and other public foras that during inspection of OMR Sheets by some candidates at Srinagar, the answer keys of General studies and Political science were exhibited even without authority and against rule.
Display of Answer Keys is n ot permissible under rule 12(B) of J&K PSC (Conduct of Examinations) Rules 2005 and this contention of PSC has been upheld by High Court.
Taking note of public discourse and interests of candidates, the Commission in its extra-ordinary meeting held on 12 June this year decided to refer the “Question papers” and “Answer keys” to the independent, third party subject matter experts for re-looking and revisiting them in order to find out the discrepancies, if any.
Consequent to it, the result of J&K Combined Competitive Examination (Preliminary) Examination 2016 notified on 23 April 2017 was kept in abeyance on 14 June 2017 and notification of June 6, inviting application for the J&K Combined Competitive (Mains), Examination 2016 was withdrawn. Simultaneously, the JKPSC said that the process for reverification of all the 23 Answer Keys was started. The commission approached the Vice Chancellors and Heads of reputed universities and institutes within and outside the state for relooking/re-visiting the “Answer keys” viz Question Papers by the subject matter experts in order to find out the discrepancies.
On reverification of answer keys with regard to the question papers initially prepared by two experts, one each at the stage of preparation of Answer key and another moderation, 429 number of candidates earlier declared qualified could not make to the revised cutoff merit of 277.275 marks and an equal number of fresh candidates made it to the revised cutoff merit.
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