CBI registers FIR against former controller of examination of UPPSC

The CBI registered an FIR against the former controller of examination (COE) of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), Prabhunath, for alleged irregularities in the conduct of additional private secretary recruitment exam2010, said officials of the investigation agency on Friday.

A preliminary inquiry related to the exam was registered at the Delhi branch of the CBI against unknown officers of the UPPSC and other unknown persons in pursuance of an order of the UP government (dated September 4, 2018) and a corresponding notification (dated January 15, 2019) by the central government for conducting probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment exam, the officials said. “Prima facie, criminality has been found against Prabhunath, other UPPSC officials and some unknown persons. Prabhunath and other officials entered into criminal conspiracy with each other to extend undue benefit to some of the undeserving candidates for their selection as additional private secretary through the APS exam-2010 conducted by UPPSC. They selected some undeserving candidates,” the officials said.

It was decided by the UPPSC that the candidates who had applied for the post of additional private secretary would have to appear and qualify General Hindi, Hindi Short Hand test.

The Hindi Short Hand test was of 135 marks and candidates had to obtain minimum 125 to qualify after relaxation of 5% errors, as per rule.

It was decided that if the number of candidates who had obtained minimum 125 (or committed mistakes below 5%) and marks were not available then, in such circumstances, the commission could apply its discretionary power (further relaxation of extra 3% and total up to 8% errors). And such candidates who obtained minimum 119 marks (or committed mistakes up to 8% marks) could also be considered as qualified for the third phase of examination i.e. computer knowledge test, the FIR pointed out.

The CBI probe found that 913 qualified candidates out of 1,244 were such candidates who had obtained minimum 125 marks (committed mistakes up to 5%) and 331 candidates had obtained marks between 119-124 (committed mistakes up to 8%) in Hindi Short Hand test. In such circumstances, as per approval of the commission, when sufficient number of candidates were available for final selection then there was no need to give 3% extra relaxation in errors and they should have not been qualified for 3rd phase of examination, stated the complaint.

Further as per rule and decision of the commission, only 913 candidates should have been considered qualified for computer knowledge test, but the same decision was violated by Prabhunath, the CBI FIR stated.