Gujarat: Recruitment exam protest continues, govt assures action

Even as hundreds of job aspirants continued their protest in Gandhinagar for the second day on Thursday demanding cancellation of a recruitment exam held recently, the Gujarat government assured to resolve the issue through dialogue.

Stating that the government will "do everything possible to ensure justice to the hard-working candidates", Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said action will be taken after an inquiry. However, he did not give any definitive assurance whether the exam will be cancelled as demanded by the protesters.

Candidates who had appeared for the written test conducted by the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) on November 17 have been protesting to press for their demand of cancellation of the exam held for recruitment of 3,910 non-secretariat clerks and office assistants. The protest was launched following complaints of copying and cheating during the exam.

"My government is committed to take action following an inquiry into the allegations of mass-copying and paper leak. We are committed to make sure that wrong people do not get jobs. We will do everything possible to ensure justice to the hard working candidates. I am confident that the issue will be resolved through dialogue," Rupani said in Anand town.

Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, also assured that the issue would be resolved through dialogue with the agitators. However, he also did not give any specific assurance.

"Our sympathies are with the six lakh students, who had appeared for this test. Our government is ready to take action against those who were involved in copying during the exam. We having an open mind and we are in talks with the candidates to resolve the issue," Jadeja told reporters in Vadodara.

Aggrieved candidates have been alleging that although copying occurred at several centres during the exam, the BJP government was turning a blind eye to protect those candidates who were linked to the ruling party.

Jadeja had assured on Wednesday that the Board will resolve cases of cheating within two days.

Refuting opposition Congress's claim of large-scale irregularities, Jadeja had said the Board had received only 39 written complaints of cheating.

More than 10 lakh candidates had applied for the exam, while over 6 lakh appeared for it.

On Thursday, NCP leader Shankersinh Vaghela and Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda met the protesters in the state capital and extended their support.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, the leader of the protesters, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, said a four-member delegation led by him would discuss the issue with top government officials in Gandhinagar later in the day.

He said the agitating youths will not give up their demand for cancellation of the exam.

The demand gained momentum after the Congress last week released CCTV footages of two different exam centres in Wadhwan town of Surendranagar district to prove its claim that copying and cheating occurred at several places during the exam.

In one video clip, a candidate can be seen copying from a chit, which he apparently acquired when he was outside the exam hall for over 30 minutes, while in another video, a candidate can be seen checking his mobile phone, which is prohibited.