Likhase Sangtam
Nagaland University, Lumami
Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) attracts the public attention particularly the educated youths and parents of the state. Any advertisement by the commission gives thousands of Naga educated youth a ray of hope for their better future. NPSC is a gateway for young educated Nagas to absorb into the mainstream Naga society. It is a dream of almost every student to get through this prestigious examination. This inspires students after reaching certain age to start preparing intensively for this examination. Considering the precarious scenario of the state employment opportunity many parents are fully involved in the preparation of their children for this examination. With every passing year the vacancies are decreasing and the numbers of aspirants are increasing in terms of thousands, raising the standard of NPSC to new high every year. The exams are highly competitive and fiercely contested that one has to bring oneself to its optimal level to succeed in this exam. The result declaration is a moment of intense tensions and anxiety stressing both mental and psychological.
One can understand what these examinations mean for them, “It is their life”. They sacrifice and give everything to succeed in this exam and many parents do sacrifice all their earnings and saving for their children education and coaching which has become highly expensive beyond the reach of ordinary people. This puts immense pressure on these young people and as vacancies are limited only fortunate few succeed and the rest are left with nothing but uncertain future. One can understand the utter frustration of these young aspirants when they failed after all these years of hard work (energy, time and money) looming uncertainty with big question mark??? What next? There are instances where they vent out their anger and frustration in public domain in the form of accusations and complaint even for a slightest mistake. To them even single mark matters, that can change the course of their whole life.
This time around pointing fingers crying foul play by the NPSC Board Members in Viva voce/interview marking was so often seen in local dallies and so much in social media. Questioning the credibility and integrity of the esteemed NPSC Board Members was not a positive sign for the members as well as for the commission. This can led to a trust deficit between the society and the commission, which may ultimately destroy the system as well as the society. These allegations and counter justification by the NPSC Chairman (‘NPSC RESPONSE TO PSAN’ dt.09/09/17) got my attention to verify whether there is any substance in their contention over foul play cry by the aspirants. Accordingly data were collected from NPSC Website, Notification No. NPSC/CON-35/2009 dt. 02.08.2016 (Results of NCS, NPS, NSS & Allied Services Examination 2015) and the marks of candidates are collected through RTI by some aspirants which were circulating in social media and were verified to be authentic. Due to space constraint only the best 25 candidates in both written and oral marks are ensembled and shown along with Class -1 Gazetted 12(twelve) EACs, 7 (seven) DSPs & 2 (two) BDOs as shown by the NPSC.
The data only reflects the best 25 candidates of both written examination and oral marks, but from the above figures one can conclude whether the aspirant contention has any substance or not? I leave the answer to the public and The Government of Nagaland particularly the esteemed NPSC Board Members to reflect upon. Based on the data certain observations are reflected.
In the third figure, EACs result should have declared as per merit, like DSPs and others.
The first figure shows the written marks of the best 25 candidates’ which deserve big appreciation but in the second figure reflecting the best 25 candidates of their oral marks poses a big Question Mark ???. There is inconsistency of marks score by the candidates in the oral interview, let me remind my readers that the NPSC Board Members comprise of 5 (five) members (4+1). The maximum marks for the oral interview is 75, which is at the board members discretion.
Based on the oral interview marks (NPSC 02.08.2016 Results), some logical questions and answers can be drawn.
- Are some candidates totally ignorant about the NPSC interview process?
- Almost all these candidates are Nagas, byproduct of our own educational system/society.
- A candidate who could not score 50% in written exam scoring 74.12/75 in oral, almost 100% sound quite illogical, the marking variation from 30 plus to 74.12 out of 75 invites big question mark ???
- Observation A cannot be because of observation B.
Unless there are certain criteria about NPSC Interview code of conducts which the candidates are ignorant about. These abnormal differences in oral marks are unlikely. Therefore, considering the overall educational system in Nagaland and the written marks the candidates’ scored in the mains, it is quite logical in their contention over foul play in oral marking. On the final stage, this pattern of marking will surely demoralize and discourage many candidates. With this level of competition there is less likely that those merit candidates may not figure again. If this trend continued without timely remedy, the commission will lose faith of the society and trust deficit will be created, which will have an adverse impact on the credibility of the commission as well as the system itself.
How to address this kind of problem in a democratic society like ours?
This is a serious problem that affects everybody directly or indirectly and is in the interest of everybody. Individuals, groups or associations writing in local newspapers and lots of opinion circulating in social media may not get the desired result as Nagaland Government is immune to this kind of memos and ultimatum. These can be a good platform for creating awareness and mobilizing among the citizen on the issues but not a proper channel to address the problem.
The best possible option could have been the opposition political party or any political parties taking this as an issue. Secondly pressure groups in a form of NGOs like NSF, ENSF, Unemployment union/association, ANCSU, etc. should have taken up this issue as it matters students community.
Public Service Aspirants Nagaland (PSAN), should write to the Government of Nagaland copy to concern department, to intervene or seeking their removal and follow by investigation if they have sufficient evidences. Otherwise writing in the local newspapers and taking up the matter to the court will not clean the system; it may redress some of the individual grievances yet the problem will persist.
In a parliamentary democratic set up like India, unless the citizens are conscious about their own rights and also conscious about the privileges and responsibilities of the people in the chair there are high possibilities of power being abused. Today no officer can take their chair for granted like those good old days where people were quite ignorant, through RTI Act it has literally empowered the citizens to access any information about the department or particular officer which are of public in nature. This is to ensure transparency of the government and the government servant towards the people and the society. Every government servant exercises ones’ authority as per the law, and is accountable to the system and the people.
