Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has confirmed malpractices by 99 candidates in the Group 4 examinations which was held on September 1, 2019. The Commission had conducted an internal probe after allegations cropped up that many candidates who took the exams in Rameswaram and Keelakarai centres had grabbed top ranks in the Group 4 exams.
The rank list for Group 4 exams were released by the TNPSC late in December which sparked allegations of possible malpractices in writing the exams because many candidates whose names were among the top 100 ranks in the Commission’s rank list had written their exams from centres in Rameswaram and Keelakarai in Ramanathapuram district. The TNPSC had announced an inquiry into the allegations on January 6.
According to the TNPSC, 99 examinees had chosen to write the exams in Rameswaram and Keelakarai centres based on the advice of agents. Of these candidates, the agents had allegedly altered the Optical Mark Recognition sheets of 52 candidates, which were then kept back in the answer sheet bundles with the help of other officials involved in conducting the exam. TNPSC has also confirmed that 39 of the 52 examinees have found their names in the top 100 rank holders as per the rank list released by the Commission late in December.
Ruling out malpractices in other centres except Rameswaram and Keelakarai, TNPSC announced that it has debarred the 99 candidates from appearing for TNPSC exams for life. The Commission has also updated the rank list with new names. This after removing the names of the 39 candidates accused of indulging in malpractices. These new candidates will soon be called in for certificate verification process.
Based on a complaint by the Commission, an FIR has also been registered against the 99 candidates and the agents who were involved in malpractice.