The Bin Sachivalaya clerk and office assistant (Grade 3) exam 2019 has been cancelled by the Gujarat government. The exam was conducted on November 17, 2019. Therefore, the primary investigation that was held by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) concluded that the paper had leaked.
Around six lakh applicants appeared in the exam by Gujarat State Subordinate Staff Selection Board (GSSSB), at 3,173 centres in Gujarat.
Mass protests broke out in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar by students in November and December, after when the students were found using cellphones in the exam which was showed in the CCTV footage. The question paper was leaked and its answer set was circulated on whatsapp before the exam by the candidates.
Now, SIT had probe over the allegations and submitted its report. A release from the government said, “The SIT had submitted its report today in the given stipulated time of 10 days, stating that primarily it has come to the conclusion that the paper got leaked.”
A statement from the office of the Home Minister, “To ensure that no injustice is meted out to those applicants who had worked hard for the exam, the government has decided to cancel the Bin Sachivalaya Grade 3 exam. The state government received at least 10 mobile phones and CCTV footages, which had proof of irregularities in the exam, which was then assigned to the SIT. The SIT had submitted the phones and CCTV footage to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). The FSL had assisted the SIT in probing the allegations and through CCTV footage, instances of applicants using cell phones during exam and communicating with each other was found. Based on the findings of the SIT, it was decided that the exam is to be cancelled.”
The state government also decided to take strict action against the applicants found using unfair means in the examination hall. “A total of four first information reports (FIRs) have been filed in Banaskantha (2), Gir Somnath (1) and Surendranagar (1), where applicants were seen using cell phones. Such applicants will be disbarred from appearing in government exams for next three years. Similarly, applicants found speaking to each other during exam, will also be barred from taking government exams for the next three years. Moreover, the state government will also take action against exam centre organisers, supervisors and class observers wherever irregularities have been found. Such institutes where irregularities during exam was found will be blacklisted from holding exam centres in future. We have also filed an FIR in Gandhinagar for the leak of question paper and it will be probed by the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Ahmedabad Crime Branch,” the Home Minister’s office said.
Paresh Dhanani, the leader of opposition in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha said, “The state government had played with the fate of lakhs of applicants who had worked extremely hard for the exam. I would like to congratulate Congress Gujarat president Amit Chavda for his relentless efforts to expose the scam in Bin Sachivalaya exam.”
