CUTTACK: Chaos ensued during the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) main examination on Sunday after the candidates writing the optional paper anthropology found that questions intended for paper-II were included in paper-I and vice-versa.
The incident has caused resentment among aspirants who appeared for the said paper across the state. As per sources, candidates had to write two papers for their optional subject anthropology - paper I and paper II. While paper I was scheduled in the first sitting from 9 am to 12 pm, the second sitting was scheduled from 2 pm to 5 pm.
However, when students went through the questions of paper-I in the first sitting, they found that they were from the syllabus of paper-II. On being intimated, authorities of the OPSC, which is conducting the exam, acknowledged it as a printing error and asked the candidates to appear the exam.
Issuing a notice in this connection, the OPSC said that it would take a final decision on it after opening of the question-cum-answer booklets of anthropology paper-II in the second session.
Meanwhile, when students went through the question-cum-answer booklets in the second sitting, they found that the questions were from syllabus of paper-I.
“The concerned candidates have already been instructed to appear the optional paper as the question-cum-answer booklet of anthropology paper-II contains question from syllabus of anthropology paper-I,” stated the second notice of OPSC.
Terming it as a printing mistake, OPSC chairman Arun Kumar Sarangi advised candidates not to be worried.
“Apart from seven compulsory subjects, there are total 36 optional subject having two papers. It is nothing but a printing mistake in paper-I and paper-II questions of anthropology subject. It will not affect the examination in any way as the candidates appeared the examination on anthropology paper-II in first sitting from 9 am to 12 pm and paper-I in second sitting from 2 pm to 5 pm,” said Sarangi.