UPPSC in trouble for giving 'objectionable' options to question on Mahatma Gandhi

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has landed in a controversy by giving “objectionable” options to a question on Mahatma Gandhi.

The UPPSC main examination for the lower subordinate posts was held earlier this week and in the general knowledge paper, one of the questions was “For which of the following options was Mahatma Gandhi best known for?”

The four options listed were (1) for playing an inactive/passive opposition in the freedom movement (2) to establish an Islamic state (3) for opposing a political office for Hindus and (4) for encouraging violence to end British rule.

A candidate said that the four options were misleading even though the correct answer was closest to the first option.

“Gandhi never favoured a passive or inactive role in the freedom movement. He called for non-violence and his satyagraha was an active campaign. The options given to the questions almost amount to blasphemy,” he said.

Dr Ramesh Dixit, former head of the political science department in the Lucknow University, said, “The options given to the question on Gandhi are actually an extension of the fundamentalist approach to Gandhian philosophy. All the options given are designed to belittle the status of Mahatma Gandhi. UPPSC should tender an apology for asking such questions,” he said.

Mahendra Prasad, examination controller for the UPPSC, said that the question papers are prepared by experts and in case the-re is any objection to a question, “we will examine the same”. We have no intentions whatsoever to insult any leader.”

In a related development, the UP Higher Education Services Commission held the English examination for assistant professors’ posts. The examination was held earlier this mo-nth but the commission has now uploaded all wrong answers to the questions on its website.

For instance, the writer of Iliad is Homer but the website says that the right answer is Plato.

A official said, “The question papers are set in a mechanical manner and no none bothers to check the contents.”