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Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 5
The Nagaland Public Service Commission has done it yet again. Factual errors in the answer keys released by the hallowed Commission for the preliminary examination 2012, held on August 25, have been observed. Not less than 10 entries, for as many questions, in the answer keys published by the Commission on August 30 are found to be doubtful; if not out rightly erroneous. And with negative markings for wrong choice of answers hanging overhead, candidates worried that their chances of clearing the preliminary will be affected, pointed out the errors. The candidates however wished to remain anonymous.
The doubtful answers are with regard to question numbers – 164, 36, 105, 71, 120, 9, 146, 149, 127, and 27 in question booklet series A. For series B, the question numbers are – 13, 29, 40, 50, 72, 85, 110, 112, 130, and 194.
The answer to the question number 164 in series A (13 series B), “Houseflies are likely to be densely populated in climatic conditions” is most likely “hot, humid” as against “hot, dry” given in the answer keys. According to research, houseflies appear and breed faster in warm and moist conditions, one candidate said.
With regard to question number 36 in series A (29 series B), the correct answer should be Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was the last Mughal emperor as mentioned in the history books. As for question number 127 in series A (130 series B), Awadh was annexed by the British East India Company because the Nawab refused to introduce reforms as suggested by the British. Awadh was already an ally of the British before it was annexed; hence, the supposed correct answer entered in the answer keys deserves scrutiny. In another question related to Indian history, none of the given options comes close to the question asked. It is with regard to question number 9 in series A (85 series B). The first Indian lady to preside over the Indian national Congress was Sarojini Naidu.
Another glaring error was observed in the answer keys with regard to a question (number 149 in series A and 112 in series B) related to Nagaland. The literacy rate of Nagaland according to the 2011 Census stands at 80.11 percent. The options provided were 67.11 percent, 73.26 percent, 62.51 percent and 81.29. If that was not enough, according to the answer keys, the answer to this particular question was 67.11 percent. The state’s literacy rate stood at 66.59 percent according to the 2001 Census. As for question number 146 in series A (110 series B), the erstwhile National Highway 39 is now known as National Highway 29. For question number 195 in series A (40 series B), the correct answer should be option ‘A’, not ‘C’. The west to east extension of the Himalayas runs from Indus valley in the west to the Brahmaputra river valley in the east. Brahmaputra is known as Dihang in Arunachal Pradesh. With regard to question number 71 in series A (50 series B), all the three statements are correct. According to the answer keys, all the statements are incorrect.
Answers to two questions related to reasoning are doubtful. The most likely sequence with regard to question number 27 in series A (194 series B) is Mukesh, Umesh, Roopesh, Vipul and Rakesh, if one is to take Mukesh as the first person to have taken food. Further, the probable answer to question number 120 in series A (72 series B) is ‘1’. One candidate challenged it cannot be ‘2’ on the premise, “The word MINISTER has one letter-pair ‘I’ and one number of letter left between them ‘N’; hence the answer is ‘1’.”
