PSC chairman’s role in exam irregularities: Additional Secretary reveals details

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Additional Secretary R. Hari is understood to have revealed to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) the alleged role of PSC Chairman Dr M.R. Baiju in examination and recruitment irregularities. Crucial information reportedly emerged during Hari’s interrogation after the SIT took him into custody yesterday. Hari, who is in judicial remand, is being questioned about the alleged manipulation of the Planning Board examination to facilitate the appointment of a favoured candidate without evaluating all the answer scripts. He is reportedly understood to have disclosed the chairman’s role in the alleged fraud. The interrogation is continuing. Hari will be produced before the court today after it is completed. PSC Controller of Examinations Bini K. Abraham did not appear for questioning yesterday.

Some members of the Commission had reportedly told investigators earlier that the chairman might have had prior knowledge of the marks obtained by candidates in the written examination for the Planning Board Chief post. The SIT has also learnt that the chairman routinely sought examination marks from officials in connection with several examinations. Of the 228 candidates who appeared for the General Paper I examination for the Planning Board Chief post, the answers to questions 1 to 9 and 18 to 28 were evaluated for only 51 candidates. For the remaining 177 candidates, only the answers to questions 1 to 8 and 18 to 28 were evaluated. The answers to questions 10 to 18, carrying 58 marks, were not evaluated for any of the candidates. Hari had logged into the software system and terminated the evaluation process before it was completed. He is reportedly understood to have disclosed details, including who had instructed him to stop the evaluation.