¦ 11.23 lakh candidates to appear ¦ Internet to remain suspended
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Assam government is set to script history on September 15, 2024, when as many as 11.23 lakh candidates will appear in the grade III examination at a time. The state government has put the district and police administrations on high alert, including temporary suspension of telecom services from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., to make the massive recruitment examination a success. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself has been monitoring the preparedness of the examination.
The state government issued a notification under the provisions of Section 5(2) of the India Telegraph Act, 1885, read with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 to prohibit the mobile internet/mobile data/mobile WiFi services of all mobile service providers in the entire state of Assam from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. The notification, however, clarified that voice calls and broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines may remain functional during the aforesaid period.
The Home Department said that there exists a substantial apprehension that the antisocial elements or the organised groups shall try to take advantage of the situation by resorting to rumour-mongering through social media and may try to destabilise the process of examination.
The candidates will vie for around 12,000 third grade posts in the examination to be held in as many as 2,305 centres. Of them, 429 centres have been identified as sensitive ones due to their geographical locations and past history of cheating and other malpractices. The Chief Minister has issued strict instructions to the district and police administrations to ensure transparency and fairness. The entire administration has been on its toes not to allow the recurrence of incidents that marred such examinations earlier.
The chief minister also directed the SPs to enforce rigorous security measures in and around the examination centres. He also called for heightened vigilance on social media to address any attempts by miscreants to undermine the integrity of the examination.
So much so that, to make the travel of the examinees a smooth affair, the Chief Minister has ensured the running of 12 special trains between upper and lower Assam and the Barak Valley districts through talks with NF Railway. This is history in itself in the state.
Apart from these, every examination centre will come under CCTV surveillance, and the market in and around examination centres will remain closed during the examination period. Barring candidates, no other people will have access to an area of certain radius around any examination centre.
So as to ensure fair recruitment examinations, the state government has already passed an Act: Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2024. This Act has stringent provisions like ten-year imprisonment and a fine amounting up to Rs 10 crore.
Under the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination Board, examination dates have been fixed on September 15, 19, and October 27 for the recruitment of around 30,000 grade IV and grade III posts. The total number of applicants for these posts is around 32 lakh.
Also read: Assam special recruitment drive: Duplicity found in 62 teachers’ applications (sentinelassam.com)
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