No irregularities found in civil services exams conducted by MPSC: Mizoram CM

Aizawl, May 3 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday said that no irregularities were found in the civil service examinations conducted by the Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) as per an inquiry report submitted recently.

The report of the inquiry, which was conducted by former state chief secretary M Lalmanzuala, came to the conclusion that there were “no irregularities” and “no marks were altered” in the civil service exams as alleged by a students’ body, he said.

He said that the inquiry officer conducted an in-depth study and thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of civil service examinations by MPSC last year.

“The inquiry officer submitted his detailed report last week. The probe found that there were no irregularities in the conduct of the competitive examinations. It also found that the marks obtained by the candidates were not altered,” Lalduhoma told reporters.

The inquiry found that marks indicated on answer sheets and later erased using correcting fluids were exactly similar to those given on tabulation sheets, he said.

Mizoram’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), which had levelled the charges of irregularities, however, said it did not believed in the findings of the investigation and said it will decide the future course of action upon receiving a copy of the inquiry report.

MZP president H Lalthianghlima said the organisation has sought a copy of the report under Right to Information Act, while raising doubts on whether the inquiry officer was impartial during the probe.

“We don’t believe in the findings of the inquiry. The inquiry officer, Lalmanzuala, was himself a former chairman of MPSC. Was he unbiased during the investigation? There is a big question regarding this,” Lalthianghlima told PTI.

Earlier, MZP had staged an agitation in front of the MPSC office here demanding the resignation of the commission’s chairman J C Ramthanga over the alleged irregularities.

The organisation alleged that irregularities took place in the conduct of a combined competitive examination held in October last year as marks obtained by some candidates were found altered on answer papers and tabulation sheets using correcting fluid.

It had also said that correcting fluid was hardly used in the past and when the evaluator wanted to correct the marks he or she had already given on answer papers, he or she would strike it off with a pen and would give the new marks by putting his or her signature or explanation remarks under the marks.

Following the agitation, the government ordered a probe and appointed Lalmanzuala, who is also former chairman of MPSC, as an inquiry officer on April 15. He was asked to submit his report within seven days of his appointment. Lalmanzuala submitted his report on April 24.

Normally, answer sheets undergo three-tier evaluation and evaluators are not allowed to give marks on answer sheets except on tabulation sheets, according to MPSC officials.

However, sometimes, evaluators tend to give marks on answer sheets, which are required to be erased or removed before passing on the answer sheets to the next evaluator, they said. This is done to ensure independent evaluation, they said. The marks given separately by the first and second evaluators on tabulation sheets are compared by the third evaluator or scrutiniser, who allots the final marks after making corrections if needed, officials said. Subsequently, the final marks given by the scrutiniser are carefully examined by the MPSC office after which final tabulation is done, they added.