Lambasting the education department for the large number of errors in the question paper set for recruiting Post graduate Assistants (Tamil), Madras High court described it as "too much of a mistake" and stayed publication of results of the written competitive examination for direct recruitment for 2012-13.
Justice Nagamuthu said the department had not kept its promise it had made in an affidavit earlier after a similar mistake that there would not be any error in question papers in future. There were 47 errors in this 150 objective type paper.
The Judge also read some of the errors and sought to know what had happened to the department's assurance.
"Do you know Tamil has been recognised as a Semmozhi (classical language). Are you not ashamed to set such a question paper with lot of mistakes and errors? We are in Tamil Nadu. The question paper is for recruiting Tamil teachers to work in Tamil Nadu. If the question is not clear...How can we expect students to understand them and give their reply?"
Justice Nagamuthu said it was okay if there are one or two mistakes. "But one third of the question paper is wrong. To err is human...But this is too much," the Judge said.
Petitioner S Vijayalakshmi submitted that there were 47 vital errors in the question papers and it was duty of the Secretary of the Teachers Recruitment Board to either award marks for mere attempt or conduct examinations afresh.
The government pleader agreed that there were mistakes, but the students who claimed to be Post Graduates could always apply reason and analytical brain to overcome the problem of comprehension of the small printing mistakes and come out with right options.
