GUWAHATI, Sept 28: For the second time in September, mobile internet services in Assam will be disabled for eight hours on Sunday to prevent malpractices during the written examination for a recruitment test to Grade III posts.
The suspension of mobile internet/ mobile data/ mobile wi-fi connectivity will be in place from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, an official release said on Saturday.
“All are requested to bear with the inconvenience in the interest of holding a free, fair and transparent recruitment examination and thereby securing the future of the youths of the state,” the release, issued by the secretary, State Level Recruitment Commission for Class-III Posts, said.
Mobile internet services were suspended for three-and-a-half hours on September 15 when the first phase of the written examination for Grade III posts was conducted.
The written tests of the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) for Grade III posts of bachelor degree level and HSLC level will be held in two halves on Sunday.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) will be running six pair of special trains to facilitate candidates appearing for the examination, NFR authorities added.
About 18.50 lakh candidates have applied for the various classes of Grade III posts.
Examination for bachelor degree level posts and HSLC level (driver) posts of Grade III will be held in the second phase, for which admit cards with instructions for the candidates have already been issued, the statement said.
It said some additional/ revised instructions have now been issued, including advising candidates to verify the location of the examination centre a day in advance and report at least one-and-half-hour before the commencement of the examination for thorough checking and frisking.
It further said the Home and Political department has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for frisking candidates. The SOP comes following allegations of improper frisking of female candidates during the first phase of examination, with many women claiming that female security personnel touched their private parts.
For female candidates, there will be separate enclosures with one Anganwadi worker/ helper or ASHA worker to be present near the frisking area.
In case of improper frisking, the candidate should immediately report to the centre in-charge, the statement said.
For speedy frisking, candidates have been advised to wear half-sleeve attire and slippers instead of shoes.
Candidates will be permitted to take their question booklet after the examination, and senior level officers have been deputed as central observers for smooth conduct of the examination, the statement added.
An NFR release said that six pairs of examination special trains for the help of candidates appearing for ADRE on Sunday are being run.
The six special trains will undertake 12 trips to facilitate to and fro journey of the candidates.
Written tests of ADRE for Grade IV posts of two different educational levels will be conducted on two other dates, official sources had said earlier.
About 13.70 lakh candidates have applied for different Grade IV posts, they added.
The first ADRE under the State Level Recruitment Commission was conducted in the state in August 2022, when mobile internet services were suspended for four hours in nearly all the districts on the two days then the written tests were held. (PTI)
