The Case of Massive Corruption

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) hosts an annual exam for selection to Government services (Indian Administrative Services) of topmost cadre. This exam is considered to be one of the most reputed exams in the nation, which includes a three stage selection process: Prelims, Mains and Interview.

Since long candidates have witnessed some up and downs and the lack of clarity of criteria for the interview process, but it is for the first time that the wanton UPSC unbothered of our Fundamental Rights, RTI and other judicial empowerment measures has declared the Prelims’ result full of fallacies.

The irony is, the website www.upsc.gov.in doesn’t tell the candidate his marks in the exam or cut off, rather it believes in the acceptance of lottery system by answering “Sorry! Try again” or “Congrats” as an answer to the marks query of the students.

Every year around 500, 000 graduates write this prestigious exam. A candidate is provided with four attempts to clear prelims, mains and interview in one row. There are always many who have devoted more than five years for the preparation of the exam and after attempting a good many answers right, they hope for a positive result. Regrettably, this time the students with 40-55 attempted right answers are in for the next stage and the ones with 70-95 correct are sitting out and just speculating what went wrong.

There could be two reasons for such a malignancy:

1. Motive-based selection/Corruption

2. Any computing error (as Set D students have suffered most)

The solution is simple won’t even take much of UPSC to put in place:

1.    Putting a stay on the Mains Exam that start from October 28, until the results of the Prelims exam are re-examined, so that the undeserving candidates gone to the next stage are not finally selected.

2.    Publishing the model answers of the test held on May 23, 2010.

3.    Declaring the cut-off marks for all subjects and General Studies (GS).

4.    Disclosing the marks of candidates vis a vis in GS and in Optional subject that they can make out for what margin they could or couldn’t make through.

5.    Setting up of a re-evaluation process in place for those who are doubtful of the scores obtained can get their scores rechecked. Similar process was conducted in 1986 and 1998.

6.    Lastly, if it cannot do any of the above, considering the massive angst at the mishandling of affairs it should cancel the previous exam and conduct a new one that takes into consideration the transparency fact to maintain the sanctity of the exam.

 What makes us reach the conclusion UPSC has been corrupt in Prelims 2010:

1. Lumps of selected roll numbers in the result: In the result available on UPSC website, there is huge variation in the distribution of selected roll numbers in the wholesome roll number list. Out of the first 1 lakh roll numbers there are 6300 selected candidates, then from rest of 4.5 lakh roll numbers only 6200 selections which is against the laws of probability distribution. There are more pronounced similar kind of variations that from a particular thousand the selection ratio is as high as 30% and from some thousand as low as 0%. It can be doubted that there could have been regional biasness or secret termination of selected test centres.
2. More number of issued roll numbers than the number of candidates who have applied: This is hilarious and equally dubious too. How could more number of students write exam than the figure that applied? (Proof: Document issued under RTI by UPSC)
3. Declaration of result of exam held on May 23 on August 19: In the era of speedy processing of results by computer checked OMR sheets three months time is enough to generate scepticism about it: Was this much time in the processing of result was a call for bribe in between or for seeking adjustment in the actual result!! Nowhere as much as a three month time is taken for preparation of an OMR sheet based result.
4. Some students who didn’t attend the exam, instead of being shown as absent are either selected or have been shown as failed.
5. Many of those students who could reach the interview stage in the last attempt haven’t been able to make through even to Prelims this time.
6. Contrary to prior announcement of declaration of 17000 of successful candidates, the list mentions only about 12500 selections for Mains in all.
7. Last but not the least, UPSC's Response: Its silence, inaction on the issue, avoidance of RTIs filed by the candidates by answering that the matter is under subjudice and taking advantage of the cumbersome legal process and limited resources of the student petitioners. It is worth mentioning, that there are 84 cases pending in various high courts against the tainted UPSC.

The student community in the capital has tried to give UPSC a wakeup call by demonstrating in front of UPSC Bhavan, Candle Light March at India Gate and sitting on indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, but UPSC has totally ignored it so far. The judicial process is on since 2006 and again some new writs will be put into process but the safeguard of career of Indian youth shouldn’t come 25 years later as it was remittance to Bhopal Gas Tragedy victims.

UPSC aspirants are graduates, aged between 21 to 31 years, bachelors and in the most susceptible phase for turning towards rebel groups to express their outburst against the system.

So this is a call to the society and the ideals of society to protect the youth and come forward to ensure fair practice in the most coveted exam of government of India.

Tele-contact Person: Mr. Ajay Mishra
Phone: 9717581280




E-contact Person: Ms. Shivani
E-mail: pad.upsc@gmail.com

Candle Light March @ India Gate, August 23

On Hunger Strike @ Jantar Mantar since Sept. 4

Students Protesting @ UPSC Bhavan, Sept 8

List of Cases in Various Courts Pending against UPSC