Sixteen shutdowns in six years show that they have become the go-to response to cheating, regardless of the high costs involved.
The recruitment exam for Grade III and IV government posts in Assam last month had a lot riding on it. It was to fill 30,000 vacancies. It was to also go some way towards fulfilling the Bharatiya Janata Party’s pre-election promise of providing 100,000 jobs. “This is not just an exam,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was quoted as saying before the exam. “If we can induct 30,000 completely on merit, then the face of the government will change.”
But ensuring only the meritorious got in wasn’t easy. Assam—as with much of India—has a history of malpractice in recruitment …
Omkar specializes in long-form narrative features and has reported from India, the UK, Germany and the Maldives. He writes across beats, from politics and crime to cinema and sports. His works have been published in Indian and international outlets including The Caravan, Mint Lounge, the BBC, Al Jazeera and The Huffington Post.
Senior Features Writer
omkar@mailtmc.com
Delhi