Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, November 29:
A division bench of the Gauhati High Court, Imphal bench, has directed the Manipur Public Service Commission, MPSC, to carry out a fresh re-evaluation of answer-scripts o� candidates who were declared successful in the written test conducted by the MPSC in August 1999 for recruitment of 20 MPS/MCS posts with regard to four subjects - Mathematics, English, Sociology and Political Science.
The court also directed Shat the re-evaluation of the answer scripts should be carried out by a fresh set of examiners.
The whole exercise is to be completed and the results declared within a period of three months, though the period may be extended for the convenience of the MPSC.
It is worth mentioning that on the basis of an advertisement issued in November 1997, the written test for recruitment of nine MCS and 11 MPS officer posts was conducted in August and September 1999.A total of 100 candidates were declared successful in the written examination in July 2000.Subsequently, personality test and viva voce was conducted from August 16 to 26, 2000.In the meantime, the division bench has also allowed the answer scripts of four candidates who were earlier declared disqualified and debarred from recommendation by a single judge bench of the court in September 2000, to be included in the re-evaluation by removing the bar imposed by the single bench.
Further, the division bench also allowed the answer scripts of one Jagajit Salam, who did not get through the written test, to be included in the fresh re-evaluation.
Jagajit Salam was one of two petitioners who had challenged the validity of the results for the written test in connection with four subjects - Mathematics, English, Sociology and Political Science.
On their petition, the then justice WA Shishak, after perusing the answer scripts of 12 candidates who were declared qualified in the written test, passed the earlier order dated September 26, 2000 disqualified four of the 12.The four candidates were Ch Deepak Singh, N Herojit Meitei, E Hemanta and RK Manbindu.
After the disqualification of the four candidates the MPSC held off on declaration of the viva voce results.
These four candidates subsequently filed separate appeals against the single judge's order, pleading that they were not given an opportunity to be heard.