The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) conducted the APPSCCE prelims on Sunday with massive security measures in place at 127 examination centres across 15 districts. A thousand police personnel were deployed at the examinations centres and strong rooms along with escort parties and flying squad teams. Internet services  remained suspended across the state for the duration of the test.

The massive enforcements have been put in place given the track record of the Commission which has been marred in controversy in recent times. Being the most prestigious, the APPSC has nonetheless run into its fair share of controversy, with examination cycles consistently witnessing allegations of question paper leaks, mismanagement, student protest etc. 

While the preparations for the state civil service prelims this time has been quite out of the ordinary, there are a few questions which do crop up. One, disabling internet service across the state is definitely a strange trend and in a way points to the lack of confidence in conducting the exams. 

The APPSC claims this unprecedented move has been initiated to ensure free and fair conduct by checking use of unfair means through smart phones during the examination. There is no denying the fact that students nowadays use mobile apps to cheat in exams. But frisking and mobile jammers would have solved the purpose, one thinks. Everytime the Commission conducts the state civil service examination, suspending internet services cannot be a solution. 

One will understand that the much maligned state service commission which has been in the eye of the storm over ‘lapses’ in conducting the prestigious civil service exam, this time around is making an all out effort to ensure the prelims examination passes off without a glitch. However, shutting down internet services cannot be the answer as it not only points to ill-preparedness of the Commission but also the Administration and simply ends up causing huge inconvenience to citizens.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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