There is a ray of hope for candidates who could not clear the Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET-2) despite reaching close to the qualifying marks as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered another re-look at the results.
Finding doubts in the answer keys of more than a dozen questions asked in the PSTET-2 held on December 13, 2015, the High Court has directed Punjab School Education Board to get the answer keys re-examined from an expert committee. Seeking the re-examination report in 10 days, High Court has ordered Punjab government to extend the cut off date for receipt of application forms for recruitment to various posts of Masters’ cadre from 9.1.2016 to 25.1.2016.
The orders came on a bunch of writ petitions filed by unsuccessful candidates of PSTET.
Referring to some of the questions and their answers as contained in the answer keys, the HC observed that the opinion of experts is on the face of it appears to be incorrect, and is in conflict with the provisions of Constitution of India and certain statutes, like Delimitation Act. Such questions and their answers given in the answer keys are liable to be re-examined by constituting further expert committees.
The HC Bench directed the PSEB, Mohali to set up committees of experts, who will re-examine the correctness of answers of the questions under doubt and referred to in the order within 10 days.
The high court has directed that benefit of review/revision of answer keys of these questions shall also be given even to non-petitioners, so that they may also get justice. It further directed that since the merit of posts of Masters’ cadre is based partly on marks obtained in PSTET-2 test, the benefit of revision of answer keys shall also be extended to those candidates, who have already passed the PSTET-2 test, so that their merit be also reflected correctly at the time of recruitment.
As many as 1,30,000 candidates had appeared in PSTET-2 examination and 21400 objections were received from the examinees. 242 candidates marked failed in the first declaration of result had made it after their objection was addressed and they were given one additional mark.
Directing PSEB, Mohali to upload the revised result of PSTET-2 Test on its website on or before 25.1.2016 after the re-examination of answer keys, high court has adjourned the matter for January 25.