In an attempt to ensure transparency and fairness in the appointment of nurses and paramedical staff, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked Uttar Pradesh State Medical Faculty to shift centres for the conduct of ANM, GNM and paramedical examinations.
The examinations will now be conducted at external centres with independent supervisors from medical colleges at each centre.
The UP Public Service Commission released vacancies for as many as 4,743 nursing and paramedical posts of which only 3,014 could be filled as the majority of applicants could not pass the tests. A total of 1,02,041 candidates had applied for the posts while only 3 per cent candidates who appeared for the tests were finally able to make the cut off marks.
"Ineligibility of candidates was found to be the main reason for this shortfall in recruitment of nursing and paramedical staff. The chief minister took the issue seriously and instructed the Medical Education Department to conduct standard nursing and paramedical courses for better results," a senior UP government official said on Wednesday.
Subsequently, the Medical Education Department started carrying out the chief minister’s orders and for the first time under a pilot project, more than 7,000 ANM, GNM and paramedical students appeared for the exams at other centres in the recently held examinations at 68 centres.
Principals of these examination centres along with invigilators were trained to maintain transparency and fairness in examinations held over four days and in eight shifts. Only two cases of cheating and fraud were detected and that too on the first day itself. In both cases, immediate action was taken. Considering the convenience of students, the Medical Education Department also provided buses to transport them to the centres.
Meanwhile, more than 50,000 students are likely to appear for the examination, to be held in the same pattern as this one, in September.
Principal Secretary (Medical Education) Alok Kumar said that standards were being followed in educational institutions to ensure quality nursing and paramedical education. "Institutions, which were only on paper, or did not meet the standard, have been de-recognised. In the last six months, 440 centres have also been given recognition to run nursing and paramedical courses," he said.