Shocking Annulment: Gauhati High Court Overturns Selection of 14 District Malaria Officers
On October 4, the Gauhati High Court nullified the 2016 selection of 14 District Malaria Officers by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). This decision was influenced by the fact that, despite eight years passing, none of the selected candidates has been appointed. A division bench, led by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair, deemed it appropriate to annul the selection process due to this undue delay.
The recruitment drive began with an advertisement by the APSC on December 15, 2012, to fill 14 vacancies under the Assam Health and Family Welfare Department. A screening test followed in April 2015, with interviews conducted in September 2015, and 14 candidates were selected by 2016. However, the process faced allegations of corruption when a female candidate claimed she was asked to pay for her selection.
Upon reviewing the evaluation sheets of 56 candidates, the court found significant discrepancies, including altered scores without justification for 28 candidates, casting doubts on the fairness of the process. The judges concluded that the selection procedure lacked transparency and integrity.
The court also noted the ongoing writ petition as the reason for the lack of appointments since the conclusion of the selection process in 2016. The Additional Advocate General stated that the state government did not support maintaining the current selection outcomes and deferred the decision to the court.
Ultimately, the court decided against having APSC reassess the original marks due to the identified irregularities. Instead, it instructed APSC to conduct a new selection process for the District Malaria Officer positions, adhering to legal guidelines and ensuring a fair procedure, as swiftly as possible.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/gauhati-high-court-annuls-14-district-malaria-officers-selection-1102182-2024-10-04?utm_source=rssfeed
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