Rajnath Singh confirms CBI probe into SSC test 'paper leak'

Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday confirmed that a CBI probe has been ordered into the alleged Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak case, over which hundreds of job aspirants are picketing the Commission's office for days.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Singh said the government has accepted the demand of the protesting candidates and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been ordered into the alleged leak of papers in the Combined Graduate Level (Tier-II) Examination 2017, held from February 17 to 22.

Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Chairman Ashim Khurana had also conveyed as much in a message on Sunday, in which he spoke of "recommending" to the Department of Personnel and Training to conduct an inquiry into all the allegations.

The protesters, however, who are assembled at the CGO Complex on Lodhi Road, where the Commission's office is housed, seemed unconvinced at the assurance and despite the order, they have not vacated the place yet. An SSC aspirant told IANS that the assurance of probe by the top investigation agency in this matter is not enough and there are many other issues which remain to be sorted out.

"There are many other examinees who are protesting with us over many other past discrepancies in the conduct of the examinations... This is a big protest, there are so many people...we just cannot disperse in a moment. If they want us to go then they will have to come to us and talk to us here," Umesh Yadav, a protester, said.

The job aspirants are protesting since February 27 over an alleged paper leak which came to light during the examination on February 21. A probe by the CBI and stay on upcoming examination till the probe is over are two of the their main demands.

The candidates have also alleged a foul play in the way exams are conducted by the private vendor -- since the start of online examinations -- and said that the commission has failed to address their complaints regarding software and other grievances with the vendor a number of times in the past.

With respect to the private vendor, they have also complained of instances of sub-contracting the conduct of exams, cheating via remote access at the exam centres and deputing of unverified personnel, who are "generally" non-SSC officials, to invigilate the exams.

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