Editor,

I wish to draw the attention of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), the state government, and the general public to a serious issue concerning the admit cards issued for the TGT examination scheduled to be held on 12 July.

After the admit cards were made available for downloading on 23 June, several candidates found that the subject mentioned on their admit cards was different from the subject they had originally selected while submitting their online applications. As of 25 June, around 20 candidates have reportedly identified similar discrepancies and have already submitted written representations to the commission, seeking immediate rectification.

The matter is particularly concerning because many affected candidates possess their application confirmation pages, which clearly indicate the subject they had selected in accordance with their academic qualifications. However, the subjects reflected in their candidate profiles and admit cards differ from the information contained in the confirmation pages. This has naturally raised serious concerns among the affected aspirants.

The actual number of affected candidates may increase as more applicants download their admit cards. The temporary inaccessibility of the APPSC portal on 25 June further added to the anxiety of candidates who were yet to verify their particulars.

The discrepancy has caused considerable mental stress to candidates who have devoted months of preparation to their respective subjects. It is therefore imperative that every genuine grievance is carefully verified and corrected well before the examination.

The foremost priority should not merely be conducting the examination on the scheduled date, but ensuring that every eligible candidate receives an admit card bearing the correct subject and particulars. A fair and transparent recruitment process begins with accurate admit cards. Conducting the examination while such discrepancies remain unresolved may not only prejudice affected candidates but could also lead to avoidable grievances, legal challenges, and questions over the credibility of the recruitment process.

The commission has an opportunity to address this issue in a timely and transparent manner. If necessary, it should not hesitate to grant a short postponement of the examination to enable thorough verification of all reported cases and issuance of corrected admit cards. Such a limited extension would be far preferable to conducting the examination amid unresolved discrepancies that could later result in disputes or even jeopardise the validity of the entire recruitment process.

This concern assumes greater significance in light of the APPSC’s previous examination-related controversies. In 2022, following the leakage of the assistant engineer (AE) written examination paper, several examinations, including the TGT and PGT examinations, had to be cancelled and rescheduled. Those developments caused immense hardship to many aspirants, with some losing valuable opportunities because of delays.

The commission should therefore take every possible precaution to ensure that history does not repeat itself. A brief postponement, if required for the sole purpose of rectifying genuine errors, would reinforce the principles of fairness, transparency, and natural justice. More importantly, it would help ensure that the examination, once conducted, is free from avoidable controversy and does not face the risk of cancellation or prolonged litigation due to administrative lapses.

I sincerely hope the commission will act promptly in the larger interest of all aspirants and uphold the integrity and credibility of the recruitment process.

A concerned TGT aspirant