The Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has cancelled 107 questions and revised 173 answer options in 20 of its recent exams after a self-evaluation revealed errors in as many as 280 questions.
The body holds both prelim and main competitive exams to fill positions for Class 1 and Class 2 officers at the state government level. Typically, these positions are at the highest levels of babudom. For instance, Class 1 employees include deputy collectors, deputy district development officers, executive engineers, heads of department in government colleges, etc., while Class 2 employees include mamlatdars, police inspectors, lecturers, etc.
Hopefuls to the above-mentioned government positions can breathe easy if they attempted to answer any of the cancelled questions. Irrespective of whether they got them right or wrong, they will be awarded 0.30 marks for each question which has since been cancelled. However, in the case of the corrected questions, applicants could potentially lose 0.30 marks for each wrong choice, an official explained.
The cancellations and revisions were published in recent answer keys, which the GPSC issues after the exams are held. Prelim answer keys are intended to aid aspirants in preparing for the final, while final answer keys may be used later. The exams themselves follow public advertisements by the GPSC, and are followed by interviews.
For instance, the final answer key to the exam held in keeping with advertisement number 42/ 2023-24, for the positions of deputy section officer and mamlatdar (revenue officer) saw eight questions cancelled and 18 modified.
The exams following advertisement numbered 47/2023-24 saw the most fixes: nine questions were cancelled and a total of 22 question options were corrected across Papers 1 and 2.
While it is good that the GPSC is cleaning up its act, it is still worrying that the 280 errors were spotted in the answer keys to prelim exams held in just three years: 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.