Embarassing goof ups in answer keys HC tells Govt to recruit rejected candidate
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 24, 2013: The High Court of Manipur has directed the State Government to recruit an SI candidate either against a vacant post or in place of candidate who secured lesser mark in the recruitment test than the petitioner.

After perusing a petition filed by Ninthoujam Devdas (31) s/o Ibochouba of Keirenphabi, Bishnupur district, the High Court of Manipur issued an order on December 17 directing the Government to carry out the same order within two months.

According to the petitioner, the DGP issued a notice for recruitment of 41 Sub-Inspectors on October 8, 2006 and he applied for the post.

Subsequently, he took part in a series of tests including physical efficiency test of 20 marks, general knowledge test for 30 marks, English test for 30 marks and viva-voce of 30 marks.

Results of the recruitment test was declared on February 26, 2007 and the petitioner was not among the list of selected candidates.

Surprised by the result, Devdas filed an application under RTI Act and obtained his answer sheets as well as those of all the 41 selected candidates.

The candidate who came in the 41st position and got selected secured 49.5 out of 100 marks while he secured 48 marks.

Then Devdas filed a petition at the Gauhati High Court in 2009 seeking cancellation of the recruitment result and re-evaluation of all answer sheets.

After a serious of hearings, Justice N Kotiswar of the Manipur High Court issued the particular order in favour of the petitioner on December 17 last.

Advocate Khaidem Mani who appeared on behalf of the petitioner briefing media persons in Cheirap Court complex today said that the petitioner was given half mark or none at all for question nos 1, 3, 6, 10, 11 and 28 which carried one mark each even though the petitioner have correct answers.

Moreover, the petitioner was at first given 3.5 mark for essay writing in English paper but it was manipulated and reduced to 2.5 mark without initial signature of the examiner.

For question no 6 "Dialysis is used to correct the functioning of..............", Devdas filled up the blank with 'kidney' but in the answer key it was 'kidneys'.

For this Devdas was given half mark.

Dialysis does not necessarily mean both the kidneys.

As such the petitioner's answer is also correct and this was noted by the Court, Mani said.

Again, for question no 10 which asked the founder of Indian National Army, the answer key said 'Subhas Chandra Bose' but the petitioner wrote 'Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

For this, the petitioner was given half mark.

Question No 15 asked the date when Manipur was merged with the Indian Union.

While Devdas gave the correct answer of October 15, 1949, the answer key said it was September 2, 1949. The High Court, after perusing all these mistakes and manipulations, issued an order directing the State Government to recruit the petitioner against a vacant post of SI or in place of a selected candidate who scored lesser mark after the petitioner's mark has been added the marks wrongfully denied, Advocate Mani said.

It is clear that marks were manipulated apart from giving wrong answers in the answer key, he added.

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