The Assam government has taken a proactive step to ensure a fair and transparent recruitment process by temporarily suspending mobile internet services across the state. The decision was made to prevent the use of mobile applications for cheating and to maintain public safety during the written examination for Grade III government posts.
It was from 10 am to 1.30 pm on Sunday, portion of the mobile internet service except voice calls and broad band through non mobile connections were put into force on 15th September 2008. It was on this day that examination for Grade III posts was being conducted from 1030 hrs. To 1330 hrs.
As mentioned, this is not the first instance where such measures, have been taken in Assam. For four hours in August 2022 and similar recruitment examinations that caused a disruption in mobile internet services in most districts. This was because the government feared cheating, maintaining public order, and preventing malpractice.
The government had banned mobile internet services mainly because of past instances concerning cheating and the use of social media in inciting violence. The government sought to set up secure examination centers for conducting the examination efficiently, which was surrounded by the threat of cheating.
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Aside from the internet suspension, the government also put in place a few other measures to aid enlistment procedures. Special trains were arranged by the Northeast Frontier Railway to make sure that candidate travel from remote areas was not a hindrance, all the eligible candidates were given an opportunity to the exam.
Regular trains also expanded their range of terminus in respect of exam’s requirements at the same time giving extra transport facilities to those who lived in the remote areas. All these strategies were intended to eliminate and lower any participation barriers in place and enhance the fairness of the recruitment process.
The actions that led to the banning of mobile internet services have raised questions about how best to ensure that the examination process is not devoid of malpractices without further injuring public comfort. The suspension is said to be the best way to curb cheating and tackle public disorder but there are counterarguments on how life and businesses will be affected. The internet suspension has posed difficulties and inconveniences to the public but such was the aim of the Assam state government. In line with these suggestions, suspension of the examination would pose a lot of risks hence most candidates shall likely support the measures in order to promote the credibility of the examination and the exposure that suitably qualified persons will assumed public office.
