Kochi: The Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) is under a cloud again with an allegation that there were irregularities in the assistant public prosecutor examination conducted in January this year. This has come close on the heels of the controversies surrounding the police constable examination.
It is alleged that 80 subject-based questions that appeared in the assistant public prosecutor grade-II examination were simply copied from an exam guide named ‘Multiple Choice Questions for Judicial Service Examination’ by Universal Publication.
It is said that 19 of the 23 subjects in the syllabus prescribed by the PSC for the examination were not considered in the question paper. “The questions were asked from the remaining four subjects - CrPC, PC, IPC, Evidence and Constitution – which are discussed in the first 170 pages of the 560-page guide,” said Sujan Kanichadan, an advocate and a candidate in the exam. “Eighty of the 100 questions were from that guide. Three questions were even taken from a single page in the guide,” he said.
Seven years ago, the PSC had faced the same allegation for the examination conducted for the same post. When it was found that 42 questions were copied from the exam guide, the PSC cancelled the examination and conducted a re-examination.
“The age limit for this exam is 35 and it requires at least three years of experience as an advocate.”
“So, for us this is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. Most of us may not be able to appear for the next exam which is expected to be conducted after seven or eight years. This needs to be rectified and we demand a re-examination,” V.V. Unnikrishnan, another candidate said.
According to them, many of the candidates had bought the same guide and prepared for the exam after reportedly getting alerts about the question pattern. “However, we didn’t take it seriously as we trusted PSC,” they said.
Meanwhile, the PSC refuted the allegation and said that they had conducted an internal vigilance inquiry and that the selection process was going on.
“This is between those who are out of the rank list and those who are in. We are not taking part in this. We are doing our duty and going ahead with the selection process as an inquiry has been completed,” the PSC said.
