APSC CCE results cancelled over Moran-Motok quota error: Assam CM
Hundreds protest in Sivasagar, alleging gross administrative failure in APSC selection list handling
A file image of CM Sarma. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)
Guwahati, Feb 17: A day after the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cancelled the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 results within hours of announcing them, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, attributed the move to a technical error in reservation allocation.
Speaking to the press after a Cabinet meeting and ahead of the presentation of the Vote on Account Budget 2026–27 in the State Assembly, Sarma said the issue pertained to a “small” discrepancy in the reservation list.
“Moran and Motok community were supposed to get two reservations. However, APSC granted four seats of reservation to the Motok community only,” he said.
The Chief Minister dismissed allegations of corruption or irregularities behind the abrupt cancellation, asserting that the merit list would remain unchanged once the error was rectified.
“The results will remain the same and the final list will be released soon after correction of the error. There is no issue of corruption or discrepancy. It is our duty to do justice to what went wrong with the small indigenous community,” Sarma said.
The results, declared earlier on Monday, had recommended 288 candidates for appointment to the Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS) and allied services. However, they were withdrawn within hours, triggering confusion among candidates.
APSC Secretary Chandana Mahanta had said the results were cancelled after an error was detected in the notification and assured that a corrected version would be issued at the earliest.
The Chief Minister’s clarification came amid rising disquiet over the episode. He maintained that the issue was confined to reservation allocation and that the corrected select list would be released shortly.
Meanwhile, the cancellation sparked protests in Sivasagar’s Lakshmi Nagar on Tuesday, where hundreds of students and activists from the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS) gathered, alleging administrative lapses.
KMSS general secretary Bidyut Saikia said thousands of candidates had appeared for the examination for 288 posts after prolonged preparation.
“When the results were finally uploaded on Monday, selected candidates and their families celebrated. But within an hour, APSC cancelled it citing technical error. Why is students’ life being played with? Is this the fair recruitment they claim in their banners?” Saikia asked.
He further questioned accountability over the alleged reservation misallocation. “If an institution like APSC cannot even ensure proper reservation allocation, where two seats meant for Moran community were left out and four were given to Motok, then who will take responsibility for other possible irregularities?” he said, demanding a thorough probe.
Notably, in October 2023, the Assam Cabinet had approved one post each for the Moran and Motok communities in ACS Junior Grade and APS Junior Grade recruitments through APSC’s next five CCEs, within the 27 per cent OBC/MOBC quota.