Kohima, June 13 (MExN): Thousands of candidates for the state’s civil, police and allied services appeared for the Nagaland Public Service Commission preliminary examinations at eight different centers in Kohima today. A total of 7,125 candidates were called for the examination but 5,735 candidates turned out to vie for the 34 seats set for NCS, NPS and allied services. And as usual, many candidates expressed the oft-repeated fear that has come to hold – losing out to people who would use money and deceit to deprive deserving ones of their fruit of labor.
Before the commencement of the examinations, center supervisors along with invigilators and two student volunteers (candidates) were called to witness the opening of question papers. Secretary of the NPSC Dellirose Sakhrie informed that it was done so to ensure the question papers have not been tampered with before the examination. She said the examination in all the eight centers concluded well with no problems or complaints.
This year’s posts are for 16 deputy superintendents of police, 10 extra assistant commissioners, 4 research officers and 4 taxes inspectors. The eight examination centers were the NPSC hall (new building), Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima College, Baptist High School, Mount Olive College, Mezhür Higher Secondary School, Alder College and Chandmari Higher Secondary School.
Today, the NPSC examinations have come to wear a cloak of stigma all thanks to the corruption, controversies and scams that keep appearing after every recruitment tests. The pall has deepened over the years and today, many youths don’t really want to associate themselves with the NPSC. Nevertheless, the NPSC is the only option left, mainly by desperation that there aren’t many an avenue one can land a “good government job” otherwise. Although many candidates seemed to have satisfactorily appeared the examinations, many were of the view that their efforts may go futile or ‘justice’ may not be done again with the possibility of more ‘scams’ and paper-swapping scandals.
Some candidates also commented that the questions were not much difficult but the prevalence of negative-marking seemed to have elicited some apprehension.
A candidate from Kohima said corruption has constantly marked the NPSC examinations and this year as well, one cannot be sure that things would be any different. Requesting anonymity, she said to have sat for this year’s edition for the one reason that her parents forced her to, corruption or not.
“If my parents had not forced me, I won’t have appeared this year’s NPSC exams,” the candidate confessed. She expressed fears that no matter how much one could have tried hard there could be others out there, with money to move ahead without effort.
There have been scams in the NPSC this year, last year and earlier as well, she listed out in discouragement. Yet, for all these murk, “I just wanted to try because my parents wanted me to” she said. Given a choice, would she? “No,” was the straight reply.
Similar fears were echoed by another candidate, also wishing not to be named, that he appeared for the examinations ‘just for the sake of it’. While greater scrutiny of the public has come to hover over the NPSC’s dealings, he did not rule out the possibility of corruption in this year’s results as well. Alluding to recent trends of public scrutiny, he however, said he couldn’t be sure there would be any unfair dealings for this year’s. Still, he said, you never know considering what has been happening over years in the NPSC.
