Dear Editor,
The decision of APPSC to cancel the recently held prelims and re-conduct the exam will not solve the problem. (” APPSC cancels civil service prelims” December 16).
Although it may be a temporary fix but not a permanent one. Reformation is needed from time to time with changing time in the syllabus pattern, even UPSC does it. The commission needs to update the syllabus pattern, do away with optional subject in prelims so that partiality or biasness in optional paper can be eliminated. What if in the next exam other optional subject complains of partiality?
In this regard, a common syllabus should be introduced instead of optional paper in prelims like CSAT which includes reasoning, analytical skills, elementary maths so that it may provide a common playing field for every candidate and partially in optional paper would be out of the question. At the same time, the exam conducted by the commission was also not robust enough as the question booklet didn’t have seal and also candidates could have easily cheated using mobile phones. As the state’s highest recruiting body, the commission should use network jammers in every exam centre and in every exam they conduct so that use of mobile phone to access the internet and receiving solutions can be checked.
Since the exam has already been canceled, the commission should not be in a hurry and make hasty decisions.
The above suggestions should be pondered upon once or else it would be a repeat of the previous case.
Yours,
A candidate