Editor,
Apropos the report where the CBI has named the ministers who have manipulated the mark sheets to appoint teachers in a grotesque way is news indeed in Meghalaya. However, in due time this news item will be stored in the archives. Since Mrs Gauri Devi’s murder case way back in 1979 if we rejig our memory most of the probes have been blunted. The root cause is that the offenders are always well protected and shielded by the powerful government machinery. Let us hope things will change one day.
Yours etc.,
Anjan Kr Das,
Shillong-6
Rampant Cheating in AO exams
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would like to bring to the notice of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) that there was rampant cheating in the examination held on the 6th & 7th of August 2012 for the post of Accounts Officer (Departmental Promotion) under the administrative control of Finance Department conducted in the MPSC building itself. On the first day we had two (2) papers Mathematics and Book Keeping. I was nervous and tense, as everybody would be, in the examination hall but after the papers were distributed to us by the invigilator about 80 % of the candidates resorted to open cheating as they had brought books with them. Some of the candidates even took out their cell phones and called up their friends and well wishers to know the formula and answer key from the examination hall right in front of an Invigilator. It disturbed and angered me as I never thought that such unfair means would be entertained in the examination hall which was in complete violation of the instructions issued by the MPSC for such exams.
On the second day we had papers on General Accounts and PWD Accounts and there the cheating percentage went up to almost 100% as everybody came prepared, after taking a cue from the previous day’s events. One of the candidates even went a step further. He went out and came almost 35 to 40 minutes later, God knows for what? The invigilators (staff of MPSC) were mute spectators as they could not muster enough courage to warn the candidates. The question I want to ask is, what was the point of conducting a “written examination” when the majority of the candidates were directly copying from their books? It would have been better had the candidates been called for the Viva-Voce directly instead of going through such a farcical written examination. Also, the Do’s and Don’ts written in the admission card for the examination issued by the MPSC should be discarded as there is no one to implement it or to follow it.
Yours etc,
Name withheld on request
Minister or monster?
Editor,
I am shocked to learn that some of our elected representatives behave with such duplicity. The people whom we had sent to the Assembly to do some good for us have now become our bane. The anomalies in the recruitment of teachers is indeed unfortunate. That this occurred at the time when our lone lady MLA was at the helm is unbelievable. She was expected to run the Education Department with accuracy and fairness as she was herself an experienced teacher. Alas! I could not believe that a lady of much reputation would dare to tamper with the score-sheet. Her desire was to pacify a few of her loyalists but unluckily she has landed in trouble. My questions are: (a) Did the CBI give the wrong report? (b) Can the people involved in the anomalies come clean on this issue? Finally, I salute Mr J.D Sangma for having revealed everything. He has brought hope but he could have done it earlier.
Yours etc
S Dhar,
Vie email