Of the 3,000 ADRE posts available, a staggering 12 lakh candidates appeared for the Grade III examination today, underscoring the severe unemployment situation in Assam. This significant development has drawn national attention. Raijor Dal chief and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi commented on Sunday, highlighting the gravity of the situation and criticizing the state government for its handling of the exams.
Gogoi alleged that the state government is incompetent and attempted to conceal their shortcomings by shutting down the internet during the exam period, anticipating that leaks would reveal its inefficiency. "What an efficient Home Minister of the state, what an efficient police force, what an efficient administration, what an efficient system. These ADRE examinations are being held during the tenure of Assam’s most notable Chief Minister," Gogoi remarked.
In contrast, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Borah accused the state government of exploiting the situation, suggesting that the ADRE examination is being used to fleece the public. "With only 3,000 posts and over 12 lakh candidates, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is running a business in the name of applications. The media should take note," Borah urged.
A total of 11,23,204 candidates across Assam were scheduled to take the written examination for Grade III posts of the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) on Sunday. The exam commenced at 10:30 am across 2,305 centers statewide. The Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) administered the written examination on behalf of the SLRC. Candidates were required to report to their exam centers two hours before the exam began. Over 70,000 invigilators were deployed across the state, with Guwahati alone hosting 329 centers, each accommodating around 500 candidates.
To ensure the integrity of the examination process, the Government of Assam implemented several measures to prevent unfair practices. In response to previous issues with social media-based cheating, authorities temporarily disabled mobile internet, mobile data, and Wi-Fi connectivity from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm to maintain a smooth and unbiased examination environment.
Additionally, question papers were secured in strong rooms under constant CCTV surveillance before the exams. Exam centers were also equipped with CCTV coverage, and in centers without cameras, three individuals were assigned to videograph the entire duration of the exams. The public was advised to ignore misleading news and avoid falling victim to false information.