Mobile internet connectivity was temporarily suspended for two hours in 24 of the total 35 districts in Assam on Sunday in the interest of holding “free, fair and transparent” recruitment exams for government jobs, according to a government order. It will be suspended for two more hours later in the day.
An order issued by the state’s home and political department invoked section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Service (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rule, 2017, to suspend mobile internet services from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 4 pm on August 21 and 28. However, broadband-based services would remain functional through the period, it said.
The exams are being conducted for recruitment to 30,000 Grade III and Grade IV posts in the Assam government for which more than 14 lakh candidates are competing on August 21, 28 and September 11.
The Assam govt temporarily suspends mobile internet in 25 districts so that recruitment exams for govt jobs can be held in a “free, fair and transparent manner”. Mobile internet services will be shut from 10am-12noon and 2pm- 4pm on Aug 2am Aug 28. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/XMXXDYuqec
— Tora Agarwala (@toramatix) August 21, 2022
Earlier this week, in a virtual conference with deputy commissioners, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the recruitment exams as the “biggest” of its kind for Grade III and Grade IV posts. “This is not just an exam. If we can induct 30,000 completely on merit, then the face of the government will change,” he said, adding that he “apologized to the public” for the “inconvenience”.
“Its two hours… sometimes mobile internet snaps [for the same duration] when towers malfunction too,” Sarma said.
The districts where mobile internet connectivity was suspended on Sunday included the capital Guwahati and other areas of Kamrup (Metro) district, as well as Bajali, Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Nalbari, Sivasgar, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri and West Karbi Anglong districts. On August 28, the list will include Baksa district too. Sarma said that for the September 11 exam, the government would review whether the move was necessary, considering only a small number of candidates would be appearing for the exam on that date.
“We don’t want to take any risk… even if one person leaks the question paper on WhatsApp during the exam, there will be chaos,” Sarma said.
According to the order, signed by Niraj Verma, principal secretary (home and political department), the government was taking this step because on earlier occasions, “unscrupulous elements resorted to unfair means using different mobile applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube , etc, which are based on internet connectivity.”
“The government of Assam does not want any lapse in the examination process which might have the potential to create doubt on the fairness of the recruitment process,” the order said. It added that the government had “examined the matter” and came to the conclusion that “in the interest of holding free, fair and transparent recruitment examination it is prudent and expedient to plug all possible loopholes including temporary disabling of mobile internet connectivity during examination hours on the days fixed for holding such written examination,” it said.
Additionally, section 144 of the CrPC (prohibitory orders) has been promulgated in and around the exam venues on August 21 and 28 and on September 11.
Following the suspension, Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi on Sunday wrote to the chief minister expressing “concern” and requesting the government to reconsider the decision in public interest. “Internet suspension for conducting examinations has already been held to be disproportionate and unjustified on grounds of public emergency or public safety, as ordered by the Hon’ble High Court of West Bengal at Calcutta in Ashlesh Birader vs State of West Bengal in March 2022, Bordoloi wrote, adding that the measure was “disproportionate” and impacts the “right to speech, right to livelihood, access to information, education and health.”
A government source said the decision was taken keeping in view the “history of irregularities in recruitment exams” in the state. “The initial plan was to curb services only around the exam centers, but that didn’t work out,” he said.
.