Raipur. Twenty-three years later, the alleged irregularities in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) recruitment exam of 2003 are back in the headlines. This recruitment, conducted during the Yogi Adityanath government, raised questions about the selection for key positions such as deputy collector and DSP. The Economic Offences Investigation Bureau (EOW) is now preparing to complete the investigation and file a charge sheet in court. It has emerged that more than 15 administrative officials are under investigation in this case.

Allegations are that irregularities were committed in the evaluation of key answer sheets and the marks awarded to candidates. Furthermore, the scaling system was allegedly manipulated to favor certain candidates, impacting their merit and paving the way for selection to important positions.

Claims of 55 marks for writing one page

According to documents related to the case, one candidate allegedly wrote only one page of answers but was awarded 55 out of 60. Meanwhile, some candidates who wrote the entire answer sheet received only 10 to 15 marks. This alleged discrepancy in marks raises questions about the fairness of the evaluation process.

After RTI, the matter reached the High Court

The case gained momentum after 2005. Candidates Ravindra Singh, Varsha Dongre, and others obtained information regarding the examination and evaluation through an RTI. A petition was subsequently filed in the High Court. Nearly 11 years later, in 2016, the Bilaspur High Court ruled in favor of the petitioners, ordering the re-scaling of all optional subjects and the re-examination of the anthropology answer sheets.

This decision threatened the appointments of 147 selected officers. Several officials, including the then Deputy Collector, Padmini Bhoi, and Sanjay Chandan Tripathi, approached the Supreme Court against this decision. The Supreme Court has currently stayed the High Court's re-scaling order. The matter is pending. Meanwhile, the potential EOW investigation has brought the irregularities in the 2003 PSC recruitment into the spotlight again.