PPSC MAIN EXAM DISPUTE: SUSPEND FURTHER RECRUITMENT UNTIL A TRANSPARENT INQUIRY IS HELD, SAYS SUNIL JAKHAR

Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

Amid the controversy over the results of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Main Examination, former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar voiced his support for the candidates and called for an impartial and transparent inquiry. He said it seems lot of money has changed hands in the selection process.

Jakhar said that before the elections, Arvind Kejriwal used to say he was an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and knew where to get money. He accused Kejriwal of now using the PPSC to auction off government jobs and, with them, the future of Punjab’s youth. He demanded that the government immediately order a CBI probe and suspend the remaining stages of recruitment, including interviews, until the questions raised are satisfactorily answered.

He said the candidates’ main demand was for the commission to publish the names and categories of those who qualified, along with their roll numbers and other relevant selection details, so that the process could be scrutinized. He called for an impartial inquiry into the reported clusters of roll numbers in the results and into how several candidates seated in the same row had qualified.

Jakhar asked why the government had yet to publish the names of the successful candidates if everything was in order. He said releasing the list with names would clarify whether it included the son and daughter-in-law of an officer currently in jail, as well as the children of other influential people. He cited claims that the couple had received grace marks that enabled them to clear the preliminary examination under the sports quota. He also said he had learned that the officer held an influential post in the relevant authority when their sports certificates were issued.

Questioning the silence of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, Jakhar asked why those who had organized a series of protests over the NEET examination controversy were now silent while, in his words, Punjab’s youth were being robbed of their rights. He told Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that he himself would be responsible for the matter.

Candidates Abhishek and Rankeerat Singh also raised concerns about how the examination was conducted and evaluated. They asked why the roll numbers of 86 of the 751 successful candidates appeared in consecutive clusters at several points on the list. They sought details on the required qualifications of evaluators, how answer scripts were assessed by subject, the marking scheme, and the procedures for moderation and standardization.

Citing claims of preferential treatment, alleged recommendations and transactions, Jakhar demanded a clear response from the government. He said that evidence was needed before any successful candidate could be deemed ineligible and that the concerns raised had to be addressed. He assured the candidates that he would raise the matter with the Union Home Minister and support them in their legal fight.