KVS cancels recruitment tests over question paper leaks
NEW DELHI: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), the body that manages the functioning of central government schools, has cancelled recruitment exams for over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching posts following a series of question paper leaks in October. KVS was conducting a set of three exams in collaboration with a private agency.
“We have decided to cancel our recruitment exams for various posts following incidents of question paper leaks. We had two such cases earlier this month, which led to the cancellation of the exams. We have decided to cancel the third set of recruitment exam in view of the previous leaks because the same agency is involved,” KVS commissioner Santosh Kumar Mall, said.
KVS had given a contract to All India Management Association (AIMA) for setting the question papers and executing the tests for around 3,000 teaching and non-teaching vacancies.
On October 4, a day after HT reported about the leak of question papers for recruitment test to the post of primary teachers (PRT), KVS cancelled the exam. The written examination held on October 11 for the post of LDC was also cancelled due to the same reason.
KVS was scheduled to hold written examinations for the posts of post graduate teachers, librarians and Grade-II stenographer on October 31 and November 22, both of which now stands cancelled, officials said.
KVS officials blamed AIMA officials for the leak. Additional commissioner (administration) G K Srivastava said that KVS had issued a legal notice to AIMA, asking the agency to pay liquidated damages of `50 crore for irreparable damage to the image of KVS and for acting against the interest of candidates.
“AIMA officials have indulged in malpractice with the ulterior motive of passing on the question papers to unscrupulous persons, who in turn had made them available to certain candidates at certain examination centres. As a result, KVS had to cancel written tests,” Srivastav said in statement.
Mall said that the KVS will conduct the recruitment exams at the earliest and was in talk with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). “We need to conduct the recruitment exams at the earliest. We are talking to CBSE so that they conduct the exams on our behalf but nothing is final yet. We will be giving a written request to CBSE next week,” Mall said.
However, AIMA maintained that none of its officials were involved in the question paper leak and said that they will cooperate with all authorities in ensuring that the source of the leak was found at the earliest.
“The events involving the KVS tests are unfortunate and we are investigating the matter. We are committed to ensure highest level of confidentiality and quality in delivering the tests,” AIMA president, Firdose Vandrevala said in a statement.