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3 MP recruitment papers were leaked day before test, cancelled: Minister
The MP Professional Examination Board did not find any irregularities in the conduct of the three recruitment examinations but the MPSEDC, which was mandated to carry out a technical check, found evidence of leaks.
BHOPAL: Questions papers of three recruitment examinations conducted by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board were leaked by a private company, state home minister Narottam Mishra said on Friday evening after the government cancelled the three examinations.
The government’s decision followed an investigation by the Madhya Pradesh state electronic development corporation (MPSEDC) which looked at the examinations conducted to recruit senior agriculture development officers, rural agriculture development officers and nursing staff.
The investigation has been handed over to cyber cell for further investigation and the process of blacklisting NSEIT, a private company contracted to conduct the recruitment exam, has been initiated, the minister said. The private company did not comment on the decision but it has rejected the accusation in the past.
HT first reported about the irregularities in the examinations held this year after candidates alleged that the ten who topped the test were from same region, had an unimpressive academic record and ended up making similar mistakes in their examination.
The candidates had then also alleged that the company which conducted the exam had run into trouble in other states due to irregularities.
After media reports and objections raised by candidates, the state’s professional examination board officials carried out checks but didn’t find any irregularities in the system. “The matter was forwarded to MPSEDC for technical investigation to check the digital footprints and logs of all the 10 recruitment exams conducted by MPPEB in the past one year,” home minister Narottam Mishra said.
“In their investigation, MPSEDC officers found irregularities in three exams while the cleanchit was given to seven other exams. The investigators found that a question paper of agriculture development officer recruitment exam was downloaded according to one of the logs on February 10, a day before the examination. The paper was not downloaded at the office (of) MPPEB but at personal computer of an unidentified person. That confirmed the suspicion that the paper was leaked by someone,” said the letter released by the home department.
“Similarly, investigators found that the question papers of recruitment exam for nursing and paramedical staff had been downloaded illegally on January 7. In the investigation the involvement of the company and outsiders are found as the downloading was done outside,” said the letter.
“As of now the investigators haven’t found any involvement of MPPEB officers. More will be come out in probe of cyber cell. Now onwards, every recruitment exam will be scruitinised technically before the announcement of result, said Mishra.
Among those who had complained was Ranjeet Raghunath who appeared for the agriculture officers recruitment exam. “We are happy that we got justice. It was Vyapam like scam and we fought hard against it.”
The Congress attacked the state government for failing to prevent the Vyapam-like scam.
“It is a very big issue that after seven years of Vyapam scam, the state government failed to set up a fool-proof system to stop irregularities. The matter should be investigated independently by CBI because such irregularities can’t be happen without involvement of MPPEB officers, said Ajay Singh Yadav, spokesperson, MP Congress Committee.
