NONGSTOIN, Dec 2: The “error” in the typing test for the post of LDA-cum-Typist conducted by the District Selection Committee (DSC) on March 7, 2020, has created confusion for the candidates appearing the test. These errors have raised serious concerns for the candidates who have complained to the Deputy Commissioner of West Khasi Hills, who is also the Chairman of the DSC.
The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of DSC scrapped the result of the typing test and conducted another fresh typing test on October 30, 2020.
The error in the first instance which occurred on March 7, 2020, reached the ears of pressure groups in the district and has caused a furore.
Pressure groups comprising the HYC, WKSU and WYF have taken up the issue with the DSC Chairman and demanded a proper inquiry.
They have also alleged that the error was caused on account of interference by some politician.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, The Shillong Times has followed up the story to bring to the fore the real situation in order to remove all doubts from the minds of the candidates.
Speaking to media persons here recently, Deputy Commissioner, West Khasi Hills, and Chairman, DSC, T Lyngwa, informed that the typing test that was conducted earlier on March 7, 2020, for the post of LDA-cum-Typist was held at Nongstoin College computer lab, where some computers were infected with virus and because of which the answer sheets of some candidates showed up as incorrect time zones and year.
A candidates speaking to The Shillong Times said that after his answer sheet was printed it showed the year as 2015 while others were showing 2020 which is proof indeed that there was a systems failure in the computers.
Lyngwa said that some computers in Nongstoin College lab have been corrupted.
Meanwhile, the Principal of Nongstoin College, Dr I Mawthoh, during the inquiry by pressure group leaders, said refused to comment on the computer failure adding that the college provided the computer lab after the district administration asked them to conduct the typing test.
Lyngwa said that after the office received complaints from candidates and some of them pressed for a second typing test, the office has decided to act accordingly and conducted a fresh typing test on October 30, 2020, with clear instructions that after completing the test candidates will print it and verify the answer sheet to ensure they are satisfied.
Taking note of the allegations by three pressure groups that there is a huge scam in the typing test exam of LDA-cum-Typist conducted by DSC and also the allegations of WKSU President D Sun that there was no virus within the computer system but only a political virus which interfered the typing test, The Shillong Times enquired from computer experts about the systems failure.
The computer experts, who wished to remain anonymous, said that such problems could occur in any system (computers) and if the date is reset to the BIOS manufacturer date, it may be caused due to damage or failure of the CMOS battery within the system.
Other computer experts said, “Some viruses can infect a computer and cause the date and time in the operating system to be incorrect or reset to a wrong time zone. A virus can conflict with operating system files that manage the date and time or cause operating system files to become corrupted”.
Despite clarification from the Deputy Commissioner that the computer system was corrupted by virus, the pressure groups were not satisfied. They demanded that the entire exam be scrapped and the personal interview held recently be declared null and void. D Sun, president of WKSU, also said that the three pressure groups have demanded that a fresh interview be conducted.
The DSC Chairman, T Lyngwa, however, said that the personal interview will go on as per the notification because if it is scrapped the candidates will be agitated.
A day before the personal interview on November 25, the three pressure groups had conducted a rally to protest against the DSC scam and also demand cancellation of the personal interview but the Chairman of DSC did not budge and went ahead with the personal interview.