Mobile internet services will remain suspended across Assam from 8.30 am to 4 pm on Sunday for the conduct of a government recruitment exam, an official notification said on Friday. This would be the third such instance in two months.
Mobile internet, mobile WiFi and mobile data services of all service providers will remain suspended from 8.30 am to 4 pm "in the interest of holding free, fair and transparent written examination and also to prevent arising of any law and order issues having a bearing on public safety", the order said.
It added that the voice calls and the broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines shall remain functional during the period.
Mobile internet services were suspended on September 15 and 28 this year during the conduct of similar exams for Grade 3 posts by the state-level recruitment commission.
In the first instance, mobile internet services were suspended for four hours in nearly all the districts on two days in August 2022 when written examinations for Grade 3 and 4 posts under the State Level Recruitment Commission (SLRC) were conducted for the first time.
Written examinations by the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) for Grade 4 posts will be conducted in two shifts in 28 districts on Sunday.
Altogether 8,27,130 candidates have applied to appear in the recruitment examination to be conducted for HSLC level posts in the first shift from 9 am to 11.30 am at 1,484 centres.
A total of 5,52,002 candidates have applied to appear in the examination to be conducted for Class VIII level posts in the second shift from 1.30 pm to 4 pm at 808 centres.
Among the examination centres are some that have a past history of malpractices, the order signed by Ajay Tewari, Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Political department, said.
The order said that it has been observed on earlier occasions that some unscrupulous elements resorted to unfair means using different mobile applications that are based on internet.
It also maintained that there exists a substantial apprehension that anti-social elements or organised groups could try to resort to rumour-mongering through social media and may try to destabilise the process of examination.
To ensure that are no loopholes in the examination process which might create doubt or mistrust in the public mind and thereby create law and order issues having a bearing on public safety, the government has decided to "plug all possible loopholes including resorting to temporary disabling of mobile internet/mobile data connectivity", the order added.
Any violation of the promulgation will be punishable under Section 223 the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and also under the relevant provision of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, it said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
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