APSC declares Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2020 results within hours of Gauhati High Court's nod

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) on Friday declared the final results of the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2020, within hours of being given the go-ahead by the Gauhati High Court.

The top three candidates on the merit list are Bijit Pathak, Juri Kalita and Jebin Gulnar.

A total of 121 candidates have been selected for the Assam Civil Service (Junior Grade), 69 candidates for the Assam Police Service (Junior Grade), six as Superintendent of Taxes, five as District Transport Officers, 18 as Labour Inspectors, 27 as Inspector of Taxes, seven as Inspector of Excise, 33 as Block Development Officers, four as Assistant Employment Officers, 31 as Sub-Registrars and 10 as Assistant Manager of Industries.

Earlier in the day, delivering a CAV judgment and order on a batch of four Writ Petitions and one Public Interest Litigation over the state Cabinet's decision to dispense with the Language paper (Assamese/Bengali/Bodo along with English) in the CCE 2020, the Gauhati High Court observed that the decision in question does not violate any law and Rule, including Articles 14, 16, 29, 30 etc., of the Constitution of India.

The court pointed out to the petitioners that there was no Language paper in the exams conducted by the APSC prior to 2019 and the state Cabinet was in fact now reverting to the position prior to the 2019 amendment of the recruitment rules. The court further noted the submission made by the government counsels that the state Cabinet is the highest decision-making body to bring about amendments in Rules, as per the provisions of the Assam Rules of Executive Business, 1968. "Even in the absence of any legislation, the state government has the competence to issue executive orders under Article 162 of the Constitution on matters over which the state legislature has the power to legislate," the court observed.

In the context of the need for government officials to know local languages, the court pointed out that as per existing Rules, before confirmation of service the newly-recruited candidates will have to undergo training and pass a departmental language examination in one among Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and two tribal languages from among eight tribal languages prescribed under the APSC Rules.

As such, the court observed, "The decision taken by the state government in granting exemption is in no way violative of the provisions of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960. The Assamese Language Learning Act, 2020 appears in different sphere."

Also Read: Finance Ministry to challenge Supreme Court verdict on Benami Property Act

Also Watch: