Only 151 clear English test for 613 assistant prof posts in Haryana

HPSC started the descriptive format of answers in the second level of the test in 2022. However, this particular recruitment drive for the assistant professors was conducted after a six-year gap, with the last process completed in 2019.

According to HPSC, the recruitment process began with a screening test in June, an objective exam with MCQs for 100 marks. Of the 4,424 candidates who appeared, nearly 2,000 were shortlisted for the subject knowledge test, which had a descriptive exam for 150 marks. In the final exam on August 17, 1,950 candidates appeared, but only 151 cleared.

One PhD holder expressed frustration, “I scored 77 out of 100 in the screening test, while the general category cut-off was just 66. I also secured 62% in my master’s degree in English. Yet I was declared unsuccessful in the final written exam.”

Another aspirant added, “I completed PG in English with 73% marks. In the screening test, I scored 72, but my name is missing from the list of successful candidates. I know people who scored 86, 91, and even 92 in the screening test, and they too failed to clear the exam. The HPSC must provide us with our answer sheets and explain the method of evaluation. The commission has not disclosed the marks of unsuccessful candidates. We will move Punjab and Haryana High Court.”

Recruitment activist Shweta Dhull described the outcome as particularly shocking for weaker sections. “There were 85 posts reserved for Backward Classes (A), but only three candidates passed. Of the 60 seats for the EWS, only six were selected.”

Former Haryana government officer Satish Mehra highlighted the imbalance. “Of the 151 shortlisted candidates, 136 belong to the general category, even though the general quota had 312 posts. In the Deprived Scheduled Castes category, only one candidate passed against 60 reserved posts. In the Other Scheduled Castes, just two cleared the exam of 60 seats. In the Backward Class (B) category, only three passed out of 36 posts.”

“Eligibility required clearing UGC-NET or JRF, and many candidates also held PhDs from reputed universities. With such credentials, where exactly did the process falter? What went wrong in this recruitment cycle?”

Defending the system, a senior HPSC officer said, “The main written exam had 15 questions, and each was evaluated by the same expert to ensure uniformity. Candidates may have earned gold medals in university exams, but for us, the written test is the true measure of subject knowledge. Since 2022, we have adopted this descriptive format to evaluate knowledge, even though many other competitive exams still rely on MCQs.”

An HPSC official explained that the subject knowledge test carries a weightage of 87.5%, while the interview accounts for 12.5%, leaving no role for screening test marks in the final selection. Haryana CM’s media secretary Praveen Attrey said that HPSC selects candidates fairly and strictly in accordance with the rules.