Today’s SSB exam postponed

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 25: The J&K Services Selection Board has postponed its examination for 10+2 level posts, which was scheduled to be held tomorrow, while today’s examination for Graduation level posts was cancelled in two centres at Jammu following the reports of mass copying and free for all situation there.
In view of the inconvenient transport facility due to strike call, it is hearby ordered that the examination, scheduled to be conducted on 26th of December, 2015 for 10+2 level posts, is postponed and next date shall be notified separately, said a notification, issued by the SSB late this evening.
Meanwhile, the SSB has also decided to cancel its today’s examination at the centres established in Luthra College of Education and Sacred Heart College of Education.
At Sacred Heart College of Education, some candidates resorted to mass copying and even went outside the exam centre along with their OMR sheets thus creating a virtual free for all situation while at the Luthra College of Education, a number of candidates stormed into the centre after they did not find their roll number on the notice board. The agitating candidates tore question papers of others and even took away OMR sheets.
“Two centres in Jammu, which include Luthra College of Education and Sacred College of Education were affected after some 5 to 6 candidates tore the answer papers. The total count in these centres was 1500 candidates and now we will see what decision would be taken with regards to these two centres,” the SSB Secretary Shabir Raina told reporters at Srinagar this evening.
Mr Raina urged the candidates to remain calm and patient and said: “Our commitment is to conduct fair and transparent examinations followed by results, short listing candidates and interviews”.
More than 58,000 candidates appeared in the SSB examinations, held today for 1004 posts as part of fast track recruitment in the State.
This was one of the biggest examinations for the graduation level posts and there were nearly 236 centres across Jammu and Kashmir. The attendance remained 58,548 candidates out of 90,000 applicants in today’s examinations.
Even as Mr Raina claimed that the exam was conducted smoothly, reports alleged copying by the candidates due to improper sitting arrangement in some centres.
In Kashmir, some candidates complained that the officials on exam duty helped several persons of their know-how in copying. They also alleged that mobile phones were used for copying. Furthermore, there was no heating arrangement in the exam centres even as the Valley is freezing, they added.
According to Shabir Raina, today’s exam was conducted within short period of time as last date for filling of application forms was last week of October.
“That means we conducted exam of such a big count of 90,000 just after more than a month time span,” he said and added that SSB was taking steps for making the process of appearing in examinations easy and convenient for the aspirants.