Dear Editor,
This letter is to enlighten fellow Arunachalees about the other side of coin, pole opposite of what commerce students are claiming.
I believe in going into the basics of every issue to understand it to the core. Sweeping generalisation of anything is bad so let’s try to analyse the core issue objectively
1) Weapons of every Agitation:
No matter how genuine the issue is, many agitations are carried out by telling half truth and manipulated lies. Set C issue of geography is an example of half truth. The candidates while fighting for their genuine case, claimed in social media and yours daily that only 140+ candidates qualified from geography. But from geography 310 candidates(counted manually, so expect +-5 in every figures henceforth) in the first list.This made Geography takers highest candidates getting selected from a single subject and second list increased this number to 386. Here, all should notice that they were neither telling lie nor telling the full Truth to gather attention of public.
Speaking of manipulated lies, one candidate from history Optional (name is available in social media) claimed that even without appearing Preliminary, his name surfaced on the second list. Many deprived candidates took this opportunity to spread lies in social media. However this information is not true. I request all to tally his roll number with the final result.
2) Who are deprived candidates?
This is a million dollar question. In every exam a certain number of candidates are selected. They clears an exam by the dint of their hard work and small percentage of luck. Do all those who didn’t make it to the final list come under the term deprived candidates? This is bad way to define deprived candidate. Many, especially Commerce students want to change the whole recruiting process only after they failed in prelims. Why didn’t the same candidates try to change the system before the exam? Moreover they are seeking support of candidates of all other optionals in their fight to reform the recruitment process in the midway. But later they demanded seperate exam and Grace marks for them alone. Arunachal, are they deprived or opportunist?
From Commerce 4 student (not 3, checked again and again) qualified out of 1077 candidates. From History 247 got selected out of 5278 candidates (highest strength). From Geography 386 got qualified out of 4654 candidates (2nd highest strength). This would mean, there are 1073, 5031 and 4268 deprived candidates in Commerce, history and geography respectively. Still deprived candidates are more in most two famous subjects than Commerce Optional. Are they deprived too? Arunachal, you be the judge.
3) Clerical error and way forward:
Pessimism has penetrated deep down into the veins of aspirants that they see everything with suspicion. Everyone commits mistakes. But acknowledging and rectify that mistake takes great heart. APPSC has done that. Instead of thanking commission for this brave move, blaming them for same is not a good sign of future administrator.
4)C-SAT issue:
Introducing any changes in the midway of an exam will be never be accepted by the candidates who have prepared for the old syllabus for 4-6 years. One year prior notice is required to bring in such changes. So Csat will come only in next recruitment process. All should support Csat for next year. Till then do not mislead Arunachal.
5) On standard of GS paper:
Before speaking bad about standard of GS paper, one should revisit syllabus of Gs and all the previous year question paper. You will realise that in APPSCCE only such questions are asked. People read all the topics beyond reach of our syllabus and complains Commission for not asking what they have read. When in Rome, do what the Roman does. In 2013 Preliminary exam one Question on Vijay Mallya and Tipu Sultan’s sword was asked . Such questions check mental awareness of an aspirants which is required to become a civil service officer. Often people give less value to petty things in real life. APPSC wants us to give value to such things. Question on Itafort is one such example, a historical important place which needs attention of civil service aspirants. If next time you read whole history of Itafort assuming it to come in other exams, you should thank commission for setting such questions.
The people who are complaining that GS was easy are the same people who are complaining about their optional for being tough. They are complaining in both cases. They will complain in all the cases.
6) Copy pasting:
Every state public service commission use the copy pasting method to set Question Paper. APPSC is no exception. Last year copy pasting became one of the issue. Taking cue from that experience, any serious candidate should have solved all the MCQs from different sources. All the qualified candidates have done that. Solving MCQs is also part of preparation. No one knows from which sources Questions will be asked. A serious aspirant studies regular syllabus along with last 10 years Question paper of net, UPSC ,ssc and many other websites. This too needs tiring plan and multiple revisions. Ridiculing such strategy has and will hamper candidates for all the other exams as well. We should do smart study in such exams.
7) APPSC and answerkey:
Article 315 to 323 of Indian constitution governs over UPSC and APPSC (All the other State PSC). UPSC furnishes answer key only after viva voce ie final result. So furnishing answerkey and cutoffs in the midway should be nullified by APPSC all together.
8) Is Commerce tough subject?
Yes, it is. Moreover calculator is not provided to Commerce students(gross injustice) in APPSC. Because of these handicaps I left Commerce subject for other optionals, a thing every smart aspirants do. So, fewer number of candidates qualifying from Commerce subject should not surprise us. In 2013, around 11 candidates qualified from Commerce and in 2018, 4 candidates qualified from Commerce. I see no great difference. Had no students qualified from Commerce optional I would have supported their cause. But 4 people did qualify. This is huge number provided the handicaps (gross injustice) technical subjects have to face.
Moreover it will be very tough to show any subjects out of syllabus. A single topic from any chapter is thinly connected with many topics. It will be tough to prove out of syllabus even in court.
9) Go to court:
If deprived candidates feel that they were targeted, please go to court instead of creating havoc in Itanagar.
Yours,
Frustrated mains qualified aspirant