E-Paper
After goof-up, GNDU cancels teachers’ eligibility test
In a major goof-up, Guru Nanak Dev University , Amritsar, on Sunday provided multiple choice question paper to candidates appearing in the Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET) with over 50 answers marked in bold.
AMRITSAR/PATIALA
In a major goof-up, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, on Sunday provided multiple choice question paper to candidates appearing in the Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET) with over 50 answers marked in bold.
According to reports, most of the right answers in the social studies exam were marked in bold, leaving the candidates in a tizzy. Over 1 lakh candidates appeared for the exam in centres across the state. The social studies section of paper-2 of the PSTET is a qualifying test to become a trained graduate teacher for classes 6 to 8.
Following the lapse, the GNDU announced to form a probe committee. It said the exam would be re-conducted. “The paper has been cancelled. Inconvenience to candidates is regretted. Fresh paper will be held at the earliest. Report is being submitted to the State Council of Educational Research and Training,” said coordinator of the exam Prof Hardeep Singh.
He said the question paper directly goes from paper setter to the press and no one from the university has access to it to maintain confidentiality.
Even after the issue was raised by the candidates in the exam hall, no action was taken and students were not allowed to take the question paper with them. A candidate, Lovepreet Kaur, who appeared for the test at a centre in Amritsar, said: “I found almost all the highlighted answers correct.”
Another applicant, who didn’t wish to be named, said: “There were many errors in the questions translated in Punjabi. Besides wrong words, the context, meaning and use of phrases were not correct,” she said.
One of the candidates alleged that the question papers were also taken back in several centres, adding that the entire process of advertising for PSTET exam, inviting applications and conducting the test was completed in a month between February 18 to March 12. “Why were the authorities in such a hurry? There is something fishy,” he quipped.
“The text of answers was put in bold format in 57 questions out of total 60 questions. We take coaching for the exam and pay monthly fee of over ₹ 8,000 in institutes. Similarly, most of the students live on rent in urban areas because in cities, they get coaching easily,” said an applicant.
Guneet Kaur, a candidate who appeared in Ludhiana said she received the social studies set almost 20 minutes late, and when the paper came, she was bewildered to see most of the multiple choice questions had the answers marked in bold. “The invigilator and supervisor said the decision will be taken by the higher authorities,” she said, adding that they were asked to hand over the question paper to the invigilators.
When contacted Jaspreet Talwar, principal secretary, department of school education, said: “The exam will have to be conducted again by the SCERT in case concerns of answers provided in question papers are proved right.”
In the tweet, Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira said: “Yet another recruitment blunder by @BhagwantMann govt-Approx 60% questions already answered in exam sheet of PSTET selection! This is gross injustice with meritorious candidates! @INCIndia demands VB inquiry on d pattern of Naib Tehsildar scandal”.
“Utter failure of @harjotbains as EM to conduct selection of PSTET as 60% answers were already there in the exam sheet prior to the paper! This is a major blunder of @BhagwantMann govt after dinfamous Naib Tehsildar scandal! Harjot Bains should tender apology & fix responsibility”, he added.
(With inputs from Tarsem Singh Deogan)
