CJP's Dipke joins protest as candidates allege glitches in Bombay HC clerk typing test
Several aspirants who appeared for the Bombay High Court clerk recruitment typing test launched a protest here on Sunday, August 16, joined by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijeet Dipke, alleging technical failures and server glitches during the online examination.
Dipke alleged that several candidates were declared failed through no fault of their own and joined the demonstration, demanding that the test be conducted afresh.
A communication issued by the Bombay High Court registrar (personnel) stated that the typing examination for the post of clerk was conducted smoothly through the agency concerned, though a few technical issues were reported at certain centres, particularly in Aurangabad and Kalyan.
"The technical issues, if any, in regard to the said process conducted at the hands of the Agency are being examined, and the candidates shall be duly informed by official communication about further appropriate course of action," the communication said.
Candidates complained that computers failed to function during the test, with some saying their screens turned yellow and keyboards stopped working. Fearing they would miss the examination, the candidates demanded a fresh test.
Around 2,900 candidates from Marathwada and Vidarbha appeared for the examination at various centres in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, while around 13,000 candidates across Maharashtra were eligible for the test, conducted in three sessions for 1,300 posts under the High Court's Nagpur and Aurangabad benches. The alleged disruption occurred during the 10 am to 11:15 am session.
Dipke visited the examination centre in the Surananagar area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after learning of the alleged disruption and met the affected candidates, who he said had travelled from Beed, Ambajogai, Amravati, Latur and other parts of Maharashtra to appear for the test.
"When the students sat for the examination, they found that some computers were not working properly. In some cases, the mouse and keyboards were not functioning, while in others the screens were not working. Within 10 minutes, the aspirants were logged out," he told reporters, calling it a failure of the system and the government, not of the job seekers.
He alleged that authorities had dismissed complaints and told candidates they did not know how to take an examination. "If the authorities are so intelligent, why did they not install proper computers and functioning keyboards beforehand? Why did they not ensure that the servers were working properly?" Dipke asked.
He said several candidates had travelled long distances and had been preparing for the examination for six to seven months. "Where will they go now? What will they tell their parents? Will they go home with a failure certificate and say that they failed because the server was not working?" Dipke said.
He demanded that authorities immediately issue a written notification announcing a re-examination. "The examination must be conducted again, and it should not be held on the same computers. This should not happen again because the future of these aspirants is at stake," he said.
Dipke also demanded that the district court judge, whom he said was present inside the examination centre, come out, speak to the candidates and provide a written assurance about a re-test.
"Until the demands of these candidates are fulfilled, I will remain here with them. If they have decided to sit in protest, I will support them," he said.
Dipke criticised the conduct of online examinations, saying authorities should not hold such tests if they were unable to ensure functioning computers and servers. "If you are not capable of conducting online examinations, why are you conducting them and ruining the future of students?" he questioned.
He alleged the incident reflected a broader problem of inadequate infrastructure in educational institutions, saying he had earlier raised similar concerns regarding school infrastructure, and maintained that candidates should not be blamed for a technical failure.
(Inputs from PTI)