THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Investigation into the PSC exam scandal has taken a new turn after the special investigation team received inputs suggesting question paper leak. Now, it has decided to recommend restructuring the question paper-setting process.
The recommendation that is expected to be made to the state government as well as the PSC will mention the need of deploying subject experts from other states to set question papers, if required, sources said.
During the ongoing probe, the SIT had noticed that in exams for certain specialised posts of teachers and assistant professors in arts and music field, the questions were being prepared by experts, who were also faculty members of institutions where many of the candidates had studied or undertaken training.
In one instance, a candidate was found to have scored full-marks in a written exam and the question paper was found to have been prepared by the dean under whom the candidate had studied.
This, sources said, had raised a red flag regarding the confidentiality of the question paper. The sources added that if there was a genuine paucity of subject experts in niche subjects, the authorities should look for available options in other states.
During the investigation, several such glaring irregularities have come to the notice of the investigators and they will be passed on to the authorities concerned for course-correction, the sources added. According to them, question paper-setting is just one such area which faces credibility issues, and a lot of other elements that require rectification have surfaced during the probe. “All those matters will be pointed out alongside our recommendations,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the SIT is set to register three more FIRs in the coming days as it found massive discrepancies in the conduct of three more exams. Irregularities were noticed in the recruitment exams conducted to the post of sub-inspector, Kerala Administrative Service and a third one, whose detail was not released due to operational secrecy.
The SIT has so far received about 200 complaints against 50 odd exams and are currently scrutinising each of them. The PSC members and the chairman were summoned for questioning to clarify doubts regarding some of the exams, but they did not relent and instead petitioned the High Court against the move.
The verdict in this petition is expected next week after which the SIT will restart measures to record the statements of the PSC members and the chairman.
