Assam Police personnel check candidates as they arrive to appear in class III & IV posts' exams at Tezpur in Sonitpur district of Assam.
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: The Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) to fill vacant posts of Group III employees in state government was held on Sunday amid tight security and suspension of internet connectivity for three and a half hours across the state, an official said.
There was no report of any untoward incident from any of the 2,305 centres in the state.
After the exams ended, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the first ADRE exam had concluded peacefully.
''My deepest gratitude to all the officers and staff of the Assam government who have successfully completed this monumental task without any issue',' Sarma posted on X.
The CM said that he once again assured ''our younger generation that transparency will remain our hallmark when it comes to government recruitment''.
Candidates were seen queuing up before the examination centres since early morning with gates scheduled to open from 10 am.
Internet services were suspended from 10 am to 1.30 pm.
Heavy deployment of security forces were also seen outside examination centres.
Altogether 11,23,204 candidates were eligible to appear for the examination in 2,305 centres across the state.
The authorities had marked 429 centres as 'sensitive' due to their geographical location and past history of cheating and other malpractices.
Internet connectivity has been suspended as on earlier occasions some unscrupulous elements resorted to unfair means using different mobile applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X(Twitter), Telegram, YouTube and others which are based on Internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, an official order said.
Earlier, the chief minister wished all candidates who appeared for the examination.
''Best wishes to all candidates appearing in the ADRE Class III exam. Give your best shot with full sincerity and integrity and with a relaxed mind. Good Luck',' Sarma posted on X.
The Northeast Frontier Railways has operated 12 special trains and extended the destination of four regular trains for the examination.
The Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) on behalf of the State Level Recruitment for Class III posts had announced that the written examination for Class III posts with Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) eligibility for recruitment to the vacant posts will be held on September 15.
The state government had taken elaborate measures to ensure a fair selection of candidates as the state has been rocked by several recruitment scams over the past several years.