2 weeks ago
MMRDA Freezes Recruitment After Perfect Scores Spark Inquiry
MMRDA held a computer-based test to hire people for 235 jobs.
Some civil engineering candidates received perfect scores after their marks were adjusted for different exam sessions.
This made engineers’ groups and political leaders question the results.
They said some top candidates had scored much lower in earlier exams and that many top performers took the test at one Nagpur centre.
They want CCTV footage, computer records and answer sheets checked.
MMRDA says the exam was conducted properly by an approved agency.
It says the perfect scores came from an official normalisation method, not from candidates answering every question perfectly.
A committee will investigate the complaints before recruitment continues.
MMRDA froze recruitment for 235 posts after complaints about unusually high normalised scores.
Three civil engineering candidates received normalised scores of 200 out of 200.
The Engineers Association questioned prior scores, examination-centre patterns and possible discrepancies.
The authority appointed a three-member committee chaired by former chief secretary Johnny Joseph.
MMRDA says the exam and normalisation followed government rules, while the final merit list remains pending.
- Who
- The Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority, candidates, the Engineers Association, political leaders and an independent committee.
- What
- MMRDA paused recruitment and appointed a committee to examine complaints about the recruitment examination and perfect normalised scores.
- Where
- The recruitment was conducted in Maharashtra, with 13 of the top 20 civil engineering candidates taking the exam at the Wadi centre in Nagpur.
- When
- Recruitment began in February; the examination was held on May 11 and 12, and the provisional merit list was released on August 14.
- Why
- Complaints focused on perfect normalised scores, candidates’ earlier examination performance, the concentration of top candidates at one centre and alleged merit-list discrepancies.
Critics and complainants
MMRDA and examination authority
Unusually high scores
Critics and complainants
The Engineers Association and political leaders say several perfect normalised scores require an independent investigation.
MMRDA and examination authority
MMRDA says candidates did not actually score 200 in the test and that the results reached 200 through an officially prescribed normalisation method.
Candidate performance
Critics and complainants
The Engineers Association says some top-ranked candidates had not appeared in, or scored significantly lower in, earlier recruitment examinations.
MMRDA and examination authority
MMRDA says the examination, marking and merit-list preparation followed government-prescribed procedures; it has not accepted the allegations.
Examination-centre pattern
Critics and complainants
The association says 13 of the top 20 civil engineering candidates, including the top three, taking the exam at the Wadi centre in Nagpur is an unusual coincidence and wants digital evidence reviewed.
MMRDA and examination authority
MMRDA has rejected claims of malpractice and appointed a committee to objectively verify complaints and supporting evidence.
Key facts
- Posts advertised
- 235 posts across 16 technical and non-technical categories
- Civil engineering posts
- 82 assistant or junior engineer positions
- Applications and attendance
- 26,749 applications were received and 20,459 candidates appeared
- Civil engineering candidates
- 14,714 candidates appeared, or nearly 180 candidates per post
- Perfect normalised scores
- Three civil engineering toppers received 200 out of 200 after normalisation; their raw scores were 196, 194 and 194
- Investigation committee
- The three-member committee is chaired by former chief secretary Johnny Joseph and includes professors from IIT Bombay
- MMRDA explanation
- The authority says mean-standard-deviation normalisation was used because the exam took place over multiple sessions
Quotes
Prasad Jadhav
Pune secretary of the Engineers Association, representing around 35,000 unemployed engineering students
“"Criticism and allegations regarding a scam or malpractice in this recruitment examination are entirely baseless. No malpractice of any kind has occurred during this process."”
indianexpress.com
“"The committee will objectively verify all complaints and accompanying evidence received within the stipulated timeframe."”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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