The report of the alleged malpractice in the recruitment process for lower divisional clerk (LDC), junior secretariat assistant (JSA) and other posts under the recently created Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) is shocking. The irregularity came to light on Saturday and has put a huge question mark over the whole exam process. There is simmering anger among the youths and protests are expected to be held across the state soon. To douse the fire, the government has acted swiftly by lodging a case under the SIC to probe the allegation. Even though it is an allegation and the outcome will be known only after investigation, it has dented the image of the APSSB.
The Staff Selection Board was created by the government with the hope that it would end malpractice in recruitment of lower-rank government officials. Earlier, whenever recruitment process was conducted departmentally, allegations of nepotism and cash-for-job used to surface. The state government constituted the APSSB with the hope that it would led to a corruption-free recruitment drive. Unfortunately the very first recruitment drive conducted by the board has run into trouble with the allegation of malpractice. There has to be proper and impartial inquiry, so that the culprits are strictly punished. The SIC has a huge responsibility on its shoulder now to deliver justice to the aspirants.