MCSCCE fiasco of 2016 :: Don't mislead: GoA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 02 2020:
The Group of Aspirants has denounced media reports on MCSCC (Main) Exam 2016 and appealed it not to 'mislead' the public as well as the High Court and the Supreme Court.
The Group of Aspirants was talking about the East Mojo report "Uncandidated: Watch how the Manipur Civil services fiasco is ruining lives" which was carried on this paper also.
At Manipur Press Club, spokesperson of the Group of Aspirants, Keisham Kishan said that the group had filed petition in the High Court to quash the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive (Main) Examination 2016 citing gross irregularities and misconduct.
The objective was to make the Manipur Public Services Commission (MPSC) accountable and bring about transparency.
The Group of Aspirants has always had the support of the people.
Amid the efforts taken up to make the MPSC a more robust and transparent institution, the report of the EastMojo on the quashed examination published in some local dailies has put the efforts of the Group of Aspirants in bad light.
The publication of the report, which may 'mislead' the public and the Courts, 'without consulting' the Group of Aspirants was unfortunate, he said.
The High Court after hearing and studying the grievances of the petitioners as well as the successful candidates for 3/4 years had quashed the 2016 Main examination and terminated the appointment of the successful candidates.
The Court had also directed the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to investigate the conduct of the said examination, he said.
Regarding the demand to re-conduct the 2016 preliminary examination as well, Kishan said that the Group of Aspirants had also tried to find out if there were irregularities with the preliminary 2016 examination but couldn't find any supporting evidence.
If some had belief and proof that there had been irregularities in the 2016 preliminary examination and genuinely wanted MPSC to re-conduct the preliminary examination, they would have gone to the Court before the 2016 Main examination, he said clarifying that there have been no fraction among the Group of Aspirants.
Kishan further stated that the selected candidates and MPSC had also moved the Supreme Court challenging the judgement of the High Court.
The Supreme Court in 2019 had upheld the judgement of the High Court quashing the Main examination citing 'defects in the root process' of the examination.
Above this, the MPSC was also directed to re-conduct the Main examination at the earliest, he said adding that the petition filed by some candidates in the High Court for reconduction of the 2016 examination from the preliminary stage after the Supreme Court order is unfortunate.
The sympathy for those terminated from their appointments should not overshadow the grievances of many more candidates who are victims of the ill conduct of the examination.
Instead of being sympathetic towards those whose appointments have been terminated, the MPSC should become accountable and transparent and re-conduct the Main examination in a fair manner in the larger interest of the people and the State, Kishan said.
He further clarified that wards of members of the enquiry committee who probed the irregularities were not selected for the Main examination.
The enquiry committee had reviewed only the answer scripts of the Main examination.
The enquiry committee had found many irregularities and misconduct.
About 93 answer scripts were found without the signature of the examiners while about 5764 were found sans the signature of the supervisor.
About 523 answer scripts were found without examiners' signatures for changes made to the mark/scores, he said.