Candidates aspiring to get recruited in the Gujarat state forest department have gathered at Ramkatha Maidan in the state capital to protest against the Computer-Based Recruitment Test (CBRT). Following the announcement of the Forest Department recruitment exam results in Gujarat, frustration has escalated among candidates who claim that unfairness was caused by the CBRT and the normalization method. They are demanding the release of marks and results for all candidates in PDF format with marks prior and post normalization.
The candidates present in Gandhinagar stated that the recruitment for various positions, including forest guard, CCE, sub-auditor, senior surveyor, planning assistant, work assistant, assistant engineer (civil), and graphic designer, is being conducted using the CBRT method. Initially, when this method was introduced in Gujarat, it was touted as a reliable, transparent, paperless, and error-free system. However, recent examinations have revealed numerous issues.
A major concern is that all Gujarat government exams are conducted in the Gujarati language. Candidates argued that TCS and other private agencies lack experience in the Gujarati language, and due to this, there is poor coordination between Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) officers and agency personnel. As a result, the processes of paper setting and checking are often ineffective, leading to numerous translation errors. Translations, frequently done using Google Translate or similar applications, fail to convey the intended meaning, resulting in significant misinterpretations.
Furthermore, candidates highlighted inconsistencies in the difficulty level of questions across different shifts, with some papers being much easier than others. Consequently, the merit list generated through the normalization method does not accurately reflect merit and fails to maintain appropriate benchmarks for comparison. Many candidates view this normalization method as harmful and unjust, advocating for its elimination alongside the CBRT method.
Candidates are demanding that the actual marks of each individual be released prior to normalization, along with the marks adjusted after normalization. They insist that instead of merely publishing names in the results released by the GSSSB, comprehensive details regarding the marks—both before and after normalization—should be published, categorized, and itemized. They noted that if examinations like SSC CGL, IBPS, RRB, and the Gujarat Police Recruitment Board can publish merit lists with detailed information, then the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board should follow suit.