Social media in Sikkim was abuzz over the past week with Sikkim Public Service Commission (SPSC) rejecting over 8000 applicants. SPSC had advertised for vacancy of 50 posts for Assistant Revenue Surveyor since July 21 and 100 posts for Lower Division Clerk since August 6 which received one of the highest applicants count in the State ever at over 25,000 applicants. The last date for submission was August 23 for ARS and September 4 for LDC.
The rejected list published on September 5 (for ARS) and September 14 (for LDC) showed a whopping 8000 applicants being rejected. Drawing many speculations in Sikkim, one of which being the concern over applicants being required to personally visit the SPSC in order find out the reason for rejection.
To put an end to speculations Sikkim Chronicle reached out to the SPSC Secretary Deepa Rani Thapa on Monday. She informed, “The huge number is because there have been over 25,000 applicants. For other vacancies or posts advertised, the numbers of applicants are far less. Hence it never gets noticed. But, even among the 8000 plus rejected, the issues are minimal such a wrong name, address, education qualification or not mentioning being a Certificate of Identification (COI) holder. The rejection list published is a routine process for any vacancy or the subsequent examination. Once, the applicants clarify on the error, there forms for application are once again accepted”.
October 21 is the last day for re-submission of forms for grievance redressal in case the applicant stands in the rejected list. Assuring free and fair scrutiny and examination, SPSC Secretary asserted, “SPSC is equally concerned about the applicants and are aware as to how they have been eagerly waiting for the state service examinations. We won’t reject their applications just like that. There is an online preliminary procedure, where the forms usually get rejected when it fails to meet up the education qualification criteria or the documents required”.
Yet, the issue of applicants needing to come from far flung areas of the State to ‘physically’ correct the errors meant unnecessary hardship for the applicants. “The submissions so far have been online from the applicants, so it notifies if there are errors. But, the same to be rectified can also be done online. The over 8000 applicants rejected, can submit the necessary documents and error rectification online. They need not come physically to Gangtok to submit the correction. They can do so both online and offline. We would prefer lesser applicants coming to Gangtok and for those in far flug areas can do so online”¸ appealed the SPSC Secretary.
The majority of the applicants have submitted for both the LDC and ARS posts. For applicants from other districts can mail their forms at www.spsc-skm@nic.in . In case of online rectification, the applicants get notified about their acceptance and rejection by the very same evening, informed the SPSC.
SPSC has been receiving an average of 200 applicants for rectification every day since the rejected list was notified. Thapa stated, “Of the average 200 applicants coming everyday only a few are rejected completely, if they do not meet the qualification requirement. Almost everyone coming has had their forms accepted upon physically rectifying at SPSC. Most of the applicants have confused their computer course requirement, which for the LDC is 3 months and for the ARS is 6 months. Most applicants have come with only 3 month computer course experience. Hence they are getting rejected for the ARS vacancy”.