Assam conducts recruitment test for grade 4 posts, internet suspended during exam

NEW DELHI: A written examination for filling up grade IV posts of the Assam government was conducted on Sunday, with internet services being suspended across the state for over seven hours. Mobile internet services remained suspended across the state from 8.30 am to 4 pm, the third instance in two months, with the examination held in two shifts going off incident-free, official sources said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said written tests under the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) for posts announced last year are now over. "We will try to publish the results by February," he said. Viva and skill tests will be conducted after the results of the written examinations are out, and appointment letters will be given on May 10, coinciding with the anniversary of his government, the chief minister added. The test was held with mobile internet, Wi-Fi and mobile data services being suspended "in the interest of holding free, fair and transparent written examination and also to prevent any law and order issues having a bearing on public safety", an order had said on Friday.

Voice calls and broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines remained functional. Any violation of the promulgation will be punishable under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and under the relevant provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the order added. The competitive examination under the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) was held in two shifts in 28 districts with no reports of untoward incidents, official sources said.

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Exams held on September 15, 29

The recruitment drive is for filling up a total of 5,023 posts. Altogether 8,27,130 candidates were eligible to appear in the recruitment examination conducted for HSLC level posts in the first shift from 9 am to 11.30 am at 1,484 centres. A total of 5,52,002 candidates had applied to appear for the examination for posts with a minimum qualification of Class-8 in the second shift from 1.30 pm to 4 pm at 808 centres.

Tight security arrangements were put in place in all the examination centres.The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) operated five pairs of examination special trains to facilitate candidates appearing for the tests, an NFR release said. These trains were operated for one trip each in both directions, it added. Written tests for recruitment to grade III posts under the SLRC were held on September 15 and 29, during which mobile internet services were suspended.

About 18.50 lakh candidates had applied for the various classes of grade III posts and 13.70 lakh for the different grade IV posts, official sources said. In the first instance, mobile internet services were suspended for four hours in nearly all the districts on two days in August 2022 when written examinations for grade III and IV posts under SLRC were conducted for the first time.