Disorder broke out during the OCS main exam as anthropology candidates found Paper-I and Paper-II questions mistakenly swapped, causing widespread dissatisfaction across Odisha.
OdishaPlus Bureau
Disorder erupted during the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) main examination on Sunday when candidates taking the optional subject of anthropology discovered that questions meant for paper-II were mistakenly included in paper-I and vice versa. This incident has led to dissatisfaction among the candidates who participated in the examination throughout the state.
According to reports, candidates were required to complete two papers for their optional subject, anthropology – paper I and paper II. Paper I was scheduled for the first session from 9 am to 12 pm, while the second session was set for 2 pm to 5 pm. However, upon reviewing the questions in paper I during the first session, students realized that they were from the syllabus of paper II. Upon notification, the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), which is overseeing the examination, recognized it as a printing mistake and instructed the candidates to proceed with the exam.
In a recent announcement, the OPSC indicated that a conclusive decision would be made following the review of the question-and-answer booklets for Anthropology Paper-II during the second session. In the meantime, students who examined the booklets during this session discovered that the questions pertained to the syllabus of Paper-I.
The OPSC’s second notice informed the affected candidates that they should proceed with the optional paper, as the Anthropology Paper-II booklets contained questions from the Anthropology Paper-I syllabus. Describing this as a printing error, OPSC Chairman Arun Kumar Sarangi reassured candidates not to be concerned. In addition to the seven mandatory subjects, there are a total of 36 elective subjects, each consisting of two papers. The issue regarding the anthropology subject is merely a typographical error in the questions for papers I and II. This will not impact the examination process, as candidates completed the anthropology paper-II in the first session from 9 am to 12 pm and paper-I in the second session from 2 pm to 5 pm,” stated Sarangi.
