Fire & Emergency Services : 109 candidates selected despite securing lower marks than cut-off-marks

Jan 2, 2025 Fire & Emergency Services : 109 candidates selected despite securing lower marks than cut-off-marks

What could spark an outrage over recruitment process in Jammu & Kashmir, an investigation by the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) has revealed that 109 candidates secured lower marks than the cutoff marks in the job test for the Fire & Emergency Services in 2020, but were selected by showing them to have secured higher marks in the final selection list than the marks actually secured by them.

The ACB also found that five real brothers from Budgam district, along with relatives of officials from the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department and candidates from the same localities, figured in the selection list.

In an official handout, the ACB said that a manual review of the OMR sheets vis-a-vis answer keys revealed discrepancies in the selection process.

“Out of 690 selected candidates, 109 were found to have secured lower marks than the cutoff marks, but were selected by showing them to have secured higher marks in the final selection list than the marks actually secured by them. For instance, candidates actually securing 11, 17, 24 marks were shown to have secured 90 marks each in the final selection list,” it said.

The ACB said it found that five real brothers from district Budgam were selected and multiple such instances, besides, selection of some relatives of officials of Fire &Emergency Services Department, and the instances of the selected candidates belonging to the same localities have surfaced during the course of enquiry.

According to the ACB, during the course of the probe, the question papers were found beyond the comprehension of candidates who have studied upto 8th standard which is the required minimum qualification.

Source : The Dispatch