By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A day after some candidates lodged complaints against faulty recording of timings of the physical efficiency test by the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Additional DGP (Training) BL Buam on Tuesday admitted that there were faults in the RFID since the chip was not re-programmed.
Addressing a press conference here, Buam said that the Recruitment Board had asked for analysis from the firm when candidates came forward with their complaints alleging inaccuracies in the timings recorded by the RFID.
According to Buam, the firm has replied to their complaints and has given an analysis of the data for November 26 and 27 which has been uploaded in the police website.
Reacting to a query about the fate of two candidates who had been leveled as non-qualified, the police official informed that both the candidates have qualified in the tests.
It is learnt that there are 22 other applicants in the same batch (7B) who have been affected due to this error in the RFID.
When asked about the fate of the remaining candidates of the affected batch, the official said that the complaints of all the applicants have been analyzed and the board has uploaded corrected data in the website.
A visit to the centre at Mawiong on Tuesday also revealed that applicants are made to appear for Physical Measurement Test (PMT) under the supervision of the new technology.
It may be mentioned that the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless non-contact system that uses radio frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to an object for the purpose of automatic identification and tracking.
The RFID tags are tied to the shoe of a runner and measures the time taken by a runner to cover a certain distance and this data is directly recorded by the unit and stored in a computer.
Buam also informed that only few high ranked police officials are posted in the Centre just to provide security to the firm officials so that they do not come under any pressure from any candidates.
Presently, applicants are required to run 10 kilometers in one hour to be selected for the written test examination.
The written test is scheduled to be held in mid-January subject to the approval of the Election Commission of India.
The official also informed that the interview of the selected candidates will be conducted under the surveillance of CCTV cameras and they will be informed about their scores on the spot.
Police sources allege malpractice
in recruitment process
Sources in the Police have alleged that technical glitches have cropped up in the equipment installed for the physical endurance test in the recent police recruitment process. The agency that was originally contracted to install the gadgets has sub-let the process to another firm. The technical capabilities of the sub-contractor should have been assessed by the Chairman of the Recruiting Board, Additional DGP BL Buam, before unleashing it on the unsuspecting candidates, sources said.
Sources also said that Buam should have ensured that the machines were installed and maintained by the original contactor and that he complied with all the terms and conditions.
It is doubtful if Buam has approved the sub-contractor and whether the firm was assessed for its capability.
It is evident from the results of the endurance tests that the sub-contractor has failed to install fool-proof technical gadgets for correctly recording the timings of the runners.
Knowledgeable sources say the gadgets were not test checked to find out how reliable they are before being used for the recruitment process.
During the tenure of the outgoing DGP N Ramachandran, the police recruitment process won accolades for being almost foolproof and for not being subject to any form of tampering common in other recruitment tests of other departments.
Police sources claim that the police recruitment process had the potential to be the model for all other departments to follow in terms of prompt uploading of results of the physical, written and personal interviews.
But the recent uproar from candidates at the very start of the recruitment process has rendered the whole exercise infructuous.
Fear of criminal elements
joining recruitment
The Central Recruitment Board, which is overseeing the ongoing police recruitment in the State, is apprehensive of the fact that certain criminal elements might have joined the recruitment in the disguise of candidates.
Additional DGP (Training) BL Buam said that there are rumours that some criminal elements may have sneaked in for the tests which are being conducted in Shillong.
“It is our duty to see that criminal elements are screened before they are appointed in the State Police,” he said.
The police official informed that they will go for thorough police verification and screening of candidates to ensure that none of the criminal elements are recruited in the State Police.