TRIVANDRUM, 15 December 2003 — Kerala Chief Minister A. K. Antony yesterday assured job-seekers that there would be an independent inquiry into the findings that question papers of the Kerala Public Service Commission, the state government’s recruiting arm, were leaked to some candidates before tests. The commission has canceled the lower division clerk examination conducted in Quilon district on Aug. 16 and there were reports of similar leaks in many other places.
Speaking to reporters at the airport here on his arrival from New Delhi, the chief minister said the government viewed the incident seriously and he would consult the commission chairman to decide on the extent and nature of the probe. “This would be done in the most careful manner,” he said. The commission has canceled the provisional list of selected candidates and ordered a re-examination.
The clerk’s examination was conducted for various government departments of Kollam district.
A preliminary inquiry by the commission found that some candidates in the Paravoor area got the question paper and answer key before the examination.
Turning to politics, the chief minister dismissed reports that he had advised Congress President Sonia Gandhi against taking disciplinary action against dissidents in Kerala, Antony said he has not changed his stand on the crisis following the open rebellion by his senior colleague, K. Karunakaran.
Antony however refused to reveal what his stand was. “I have informed the high command of my views. Only me and the four leaders with whom I held discussions (Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee and R. K. Dhavan) know what transpired between us,” he said.
