PUNE: While the news of two candidates getting selected for the post of forest guard in Aurangabad despite being absent for the physical (running) test was making rounds on social media on Tuesday, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Aurangabad SP Wadaskar has clarified that the examinations of the candidates were in fact held in the next batch. 

He also pointed out that the news was misleading and was an attempt to defame the Department.

Two images were being circulated across WhatsApp on Tuesday, while one of those showed ‘Absent’ written ahead of the names of two candidates in the attendance sheet of the physical test, the other image was that of the result sheet that showed that these candidates were selected.

While several candidates and associations have raised concerns over the issue, Wadaskar has maintained that the candidates answered the test, but in the next batch.

“We held the running tests in batches of 100. In a batch, if a few candidates could not make it in time, we would start the test without them. However, since they reached soon after, we asked them to stay back and then accommodated them in a special round that we had arranged specially for such students who were late. There were some 20 such candidates. Baseless allegations were being made against us without checking the whole list,” he added.

However, while usually, the practice followed at the competitive examinations was to disqualify the candidates who were late, some activists have questioned why was special treatment given to these candidates.

“People have been disqualified from examinations for getting late by a minute, sometimes. I have, myself, faced this problem at one examination. I believe even if the test of these candidates held later, there was something fishy about it. Mahapariksha was notorious for corruption anyway,” Mahesh Bade of MPSC Students Rights said.

The organisation has been fighting against Mahapariksha portal and alleged corruption for a long time, demanding that the examinations presently conducted by the portal should be transferred to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).