Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) needs to take drastic steps to restore its credibility with youth who covet jobs in the government sector. The Crime Branch has recommended a slew of changes in the conduct of PSC examinations to curb irregularities as have been reported of late. Crime Branch chief Tomin Thachankary put forth the suggestions, including frisking of candidates and installation of CCTV cameras at test centres, following the investigation into the recent PSC exam fraud.
The Crime Branch suggested the use of Wi-Fi/mobile jammers at the exam centres if the PSC test is conducted for a senior post. However, CCTV cameras should be installed at all the exam centres irrespective of the type of test.
If all exams of the PSC are made online, then irregularities can be stopped to a large extent, it added.
Bar electronic gadgets
Candidates should be frisked to ensure that electronic gadgets such as smartwatch, mobile phone, and Bluetooth earpiece are not taken into the centres. Even the shoes, belt and buttons should be thoroughly checked, the Crime Branch suggested.
Review sitting pattern
The sitting pattern in the exam halls need to be revised. Candidates getting to know of the seating arrangement in advance may collude to carry out exam fraud, the investigation agency suggested. With the right connections, smart candidates would get to know about the exam centre and question paper code from the number on the hall ticket at least one month prior to the exam.
Deploy qualified invigilators
Another proposal is about the deployment of qualified and trained personnel as invigilators. At least one PSC official should be at the centres.
Tab on question papers, hard disks
The number of unused question papers remaining after the exam should be noted on the form which lists out the articles returned to the PSC. This could prevent candidates from throwing out the question paper through the window during the exam in a bid to get answers on their mobile phone.
While returning the OMR answer sheets, the hard disks too should be sent along with these. The PSC should keep these in safe custody till the rank list expires.
HC in the loop
In September, The Kerala High Court had stated that the irregularities in tests conducted by the Kerala PSC cannot be taken lightly. It had sought the stand of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while considering a petition for an investigation by the latter into the exam fraud and also sought the response of the Director General of Police (DGP) over the same matter.
The Kerala PSC's credibility took a beating after a probe into a recent campus brawl at the University College exposed discrepancies in the conduct of its examinations. SFI activists who were caught over a stabbing case at the college had secured high ranks in a PSC test by indulging in unfair practices.
