J&K PSC Scam-III

PSC calls vet surgeons’ selection “absolutely fair”

In 35 marks (academic merit): 65 marks (selectors’ sweet will), merit will continue to be irrelevant

Early Times Report

JAMMU, Feb 23: After remaining tight-lipped for two days, J&K State Public Service Commission (PSC) today made it audaciously clear this evening that academic merit and qualifications of the candidates would continue to be irrelevant in the selection of professionals, including Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, in all Direct Recruitments (DR) in Jammu & Kashmir. The commission made it clear for the public that out of 100 marks, only 35 stood fixed for the academic merit and 50 for the viva voce. Without explaining why it had not amended Rule 51 of its Business Rules in compliance with the Supreme Court of India directive in the case titled Dr Indra Prakash Gupta versus J&K State, the Commission said that the selectors would continue to select incumbents “on the basis of aver-all assessment”.

In its first reaction to two stories on the selection of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons, as carried in this newspaper on February 22 and 23, a PSC spokesman claimed that the process was absolutely fair. In the public interest, Early Times is taking the matter directly to the peoples’ court and carrying the PSC “clarification” verbatim, while, of course, inviting reaction from its readers:

“Jammu, February, 23: Public Service Commission has strongly refuted the undue criticism levelled in a section of press about the selections made by it for different services.

Terming the allegation as farfetched with no relevance to facts, the Commission has clarified that it follows a set criteria for making selections purely in accordance with the Business Rules/ norms laid down in the relevant recruitment rules. The criteria is as:-

The Recruitment made through Competitive Examinations like Combined Competitive Examinations, KCS Judicial Examinations, Assistant Director statistical-cum-Evaluation Examination, Assistant Conservator of Forests Examination and Range Officers Examination:

The Marks for the Viva Voce are prescribed in the relevant recruitment rules which range from 12 to 14 percent.   86 to 88 percent marks are prescribed for written examination which comprises multiple papers.

The recruitment made through interviews (Direct Recruitment):

The criteria laid down for the post where recruitment is made through selection by interview only is as under:-

Weightage to academic merit 30, Higher qualification 05, Experience 05, Special Attributes like Publications etc 05, NCC/Sports  05, Viva Voce 50. Total 100.

This criteria is being followed by the Commission for all such selections. Where the number of candidates is too large, the Commission conducts a Screening Test and restricts the candidates to 1:3 ratio. The Marks of the screening test are however not added in the process of selection as the intention is to weed out the number of candidates. This procedure is being followed by the other Commissions in the Country also.

The interview process for selection for the posts through Direct Recruitment (DR) is conducted by a board with the help of a subject matter Expert. The performance of the candidates in the interview varies and on the basis of overall assessment, the selection is made. It is therefore but natural that a candidate with a relatively higher academic merit may not make it to the final selection.

The issues raised by the News Paper appear to be hypothetical. It is not necessary that a candidate having made in a Competitive Examination will necessarily make it for a post of specialization as in a Competitive Examination like Combined Competitive Examination (KAS), candidate has to appear in six to eight papers and the marks obtained in all the papers will determine his merit in the Examination. As per the experience, most of the professionals choose a non-science subject as an optional and many of them do not choose the paper of their specialization. Therefore if 35 Veterinarians had made to the KAS, it would not necessarily mean a secure job in their field.

Many candidates who had qualified for KCS Judicial and had been selected had appeared in the KAS also but except for three cases others have not qualified for KAS or have not made in the final selection.

Apart from above, it would need no reiteration that the Commission has nothing to do with any conversation between two individuals on any matter and candidates should remain careful and not fall prey to the design of any misleading person. Such persons should be handed over to the police and to the notice of the Commission so that it also acts against them.

Commission has been consistently following a code of conduct where members do not participate in the interview proceedings in which their close relations like son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, niece, and nephew are to appear. Further, the relations of the Members, Ministers, Prominent Citizens cannot be put to disadvantage and denied their right merely because of their such relationships.

Commission would expect the media to be responsible while carrying stories against it which are only misleading and contrary to facts. The commission also reserves the right of initiating legal proceedings against such fallacious and the misleading propaganda”.

END