Jammu, Dec 16: Hit by scams in the recent past, the recruitment process in Jammu and Kashmir is back on track, with the Services Selection Board introducing new measures including third party audit and low-frequency jammers to ensure transparency and fairness. Has started.

In July, the Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha canceled the examinations conducted for the posts of Police Sub-Inspector, Junior Engineer and Finance Accounts Assistant (FAA) following allegations of paper leak and other malpractices.

The CBI, which is probing the sub-inspector recruitment scam after registering a case on August 3 on a reference from the Jammu and Kashmir administration, on November 12 filed a charge sheet against 24 people, including a BSF commandant, for their alleged involvement. Was arrested on the charge. scam.

Rajesh Sharma, who took charge as SSB chairman in May, said, “After a gap of several months, we started conducting written tests after taking several new measures to strengthen transparency and accountability for fair selection of candidates.” “

The government’s recruitment agency SSB had last conducted the written exam for the recruitment of sub-inspectors of police in March, which was later cancelled.
Sharma said that the board successfully conducted the examination to fill 148 vacancies in Horticulture Department and 217 posts of Junior Stenographers in two shifts on November 29, which was followed by written examination of Junior Engineers to fill 163 posts in Jal Shakti Department. . On 5 and 6 December.

The new exam for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors (Home Department) started on 7th December and is scheduled to end on 20th December. Till now 32,000 candidates have appeared for their examinations on the given dates and we are hopeful that the process will be completed successfully. ,” Sharma said, adding that 1.14 lakh job aspirants have applied for 1,200 posts of police sub-inspector.

On December 8, a single bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, after hearing a petition filed by some candidates regarding the decision to award contracts by the SSB, had ordered the cancellation of the procedures related to the examination of police sub-inspectors and junior engineers. A “Blacklisted Agency” to conduct the exam.
However, a division bench of the court stayed the single bench judgment the next day, allowing the completion of the examination, but restraining the SSB from declaring the result till its final decision.

Responding to a question about hiring Aptech, a blacklisted company in 2019, to conduct the exam, Sharma said, “The matter is in court.”
He, however, added that the company was hired as per the guidelines of the government as it has completed its blacklisting period of three years in May this year.

“When we are selecting a company to conduct a written test, we also employ checks and balances from our side to ensure transparency, accountability and fairness in the selection. We are following the process of Which matches the standards of leading national level recruitment agencies in the country.

Sharma said that SSB for the first time introduced third party audit by Ernst & Young LLP to review the procedures before, during and after the examination, besides obtaining the necessary permissions to render But installed low frequency jammers. Useless electronic gadgets.

“OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) was replaced by Computer Based Test (CBT). The centers whose credibility was in the slightest doubt were canceled in consultation with the district administration and the investigating agencies.
Besides the SSB, the district administration and the General Administration Department (GAD) have deployed experts and supervisors at the centres, while police have carried out extensive searches.

He said that apart from the regular staff, the board has also deputed a member to coordinate with other departments to avoid any confusion and promptly resolve issues, if any, faced by the candidates .

He said technical experts from the Department of Information Technology were made part of the flying squads, which were deployed both in Srinagar and Jammu for random checks, while senior officials of the Board were divided into teams to conduct surprise checks at each centre. went.

All these steps have been taken to ensure transparency, accountability and fair selection besides restoring the confidence of job aspirants in the system. It is a matter of satisfaction that some of the candidates who approached the court have also appeared in the SI examination as per the scheduled date.

He said that it is imperative to reform with the changing times as “we have to be one step ahead of those who try to undermine the system for their selfish ends, regardless of the hard work of the students”.