Internet shut down in Assam to prevent cheating in Grade III and IV recruitment exam held on Sunday

Internet shut down in Assam to prevent cheating in Grade III and IV recruitment exam held on Sunday

 

 

Internet shut down in Assam: Mobile internet connectivity was temporarily suspended for four hours in 24 of the total 35 districts in Assam on Sunday in order to conduct “free, fair and transparent” recruitment exams for government jobs.

 

 

Order by Government

An order issued by the state’s home and political department invoked section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Service (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rule, 2017, to suspend mobile internet services from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2pm to 4 pm on August 21 and 28. However, broadband-based services remained functional through the period.

 

Why such step was taken?

According to the order, signed by Niraj Verma, principal secretary (home and political department), the government was taking this step because on earlier occasions, “unscrupulous elements resorted to unfair means using different mobile applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube, etc, which are based on internet connectivity.”

 

Grade III and Grade IV Exam

The exams are being conducted for recruitment to 30,000 Grade III and Grade IV posts in the Assam government for which more than 14 lakh candidates are competing on August 21, 28 and September 11.

 

Earlier this week, in a virtual conference with deputy commissioners, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the recruitment exams as the “biggest” of its kind for Grade III and Grade IV posts. “This is not just an exam. If we can induct 30,000 completely on merit, then the face of the government will change,” he said, adding that he “apologised to the public” for the “inconvenience”.

 

The districts where mobile internet connectivity was suspended on Sunday included the capital Guwahati and other areas of Kamrup (Metro) district, as well as Bajali, Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Nalbari, Sivasgar, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri and West Karbi Anglong districts. On August 28, the list will include Baksa district too.