Orissa High Court Asks SSB To Re-Conduct Exam For History Lecturer Posts

Cuttack: The State Selection Board (SSB) in Odisha will be holding afresh the written exam to fill up vacant lecturer posts in History in non-government aided colleges.

The Orissa High Court in an order passed on December 3, asked the SSB to conduct the fresh exam within six weeks of receiving the judgment order and publish the results expeditiously, media reports said on Thursday.

The ruling came on a petition filed by about 20 applicants who prayed for cancellation of the exam on the grounds that the questions were “ambiguous”, “out of course” and options were not given in proper manner.

While delivering the judgment, the Court said that when SSB itself had admitted to the observations of an expert committee that the questions have been found to be defective, it would be in the great interest of justice to give candidates the opportunity to participate in the fresh exam instead of opting for rechecking.

SSB had conducted written examination for filling up of vacant posts in different subjects on March 10 this year.

“The SSB is directed to conduct fresh written examination in subject History as early as possible, preferably within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of the judgement,” the single-judge bench of Justice B R Sarangi said while disposing of the petition.

Earlier on June 27, the Court had issued an interim order that no finalisation of the selection be made in relation to the History subject.

While delivering the final verdict, the order said: “In the fresh written examination, no fresh admit card shall be issued and examination should be confined to the candidates, who had appeared in the said examination held on March 10, 2019. All possible steps should be taken by the SSB to see that the question papers are set flawlessly and with all accuracy and without any ambiguity or confusion. The results of the written examination should be published as expeditiously as possible.”