42% skip assistant registrar exam, no cheating case reported

Indore: Despite intense competition for just 12 assistant registrar posts, nearly 42 percent candidates remained absent from the recruitment examination conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission on Sunday. More than 12,000 candidates had registered for the examination, but only around 7,000 appeared, taking the overall attendance to nearly 58 percent across the state.

The examination was held at 31 centres across Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur and Gwalior. In Indore alone, 63 percent attendance was recorded across 11 examination centres, where 3,213 candidates appeared for the test. The examination was conducted from 12 noon to 3 pm, though candidates began arriving at centres from 10:30 am amid tight security arrangements.

The commission implemented a strict three-layer checking system at all centres to prevent unfair means. Candidates first underwent admit card verification, followed by frisking through metal detectors. During checking, several candidates were found carrying smart watches and electronic gadgets, which were not allowed inside the centres. Girls were also asked to remove earrings and metallic accessories before entry.

In the final stage, biometric verification, including facial and eye matching, was conducted before candidates were permitted to enter examination halls.

The examination was conducted in offline mode, with candidates marking answers on OMR sheets. After completion of the examination, the commission collected reports from all centres, and no case of cheating or malpractice was reported anywhere in the state. OSD Ravindra Panchbhai confirmed that the examination remained peaceful and incident-free.

The recruitment examination consisted of two papers carrying a total of 450 marks. The first paper included questions from general studies and computer knowledge for 300 marks, while the second paper carried 150 marks and focused on university administration, higher education systems and financial rules.

Candidates described the general studies section as relatively easy, but said questions related to university administration and administrative procedures were lengthy and tricky. Experts believe the balanced difficulty level this year could push the cutoff higher compared to last year.