'Blanket net ban due to shortage of jammers'

JAIPUR: The internet "curfew" during recruitment examinations may become a new normal in the state after divisional commissioners blocked internet services thrice in less than one month for police constable recruitment and Rajasthan administrative service (RAS) examinations, the similar suspension of mobile internet services could be enforced during other upcoming recruitment services in coming months.

Internet services were blocked in Jaipur and several cites from 9am to 1pm on Sunday for RAS exam, many called it a rerun of Rajasthan police constable recruitment examination held on July 14 and 15, when mobile internet services were blocked across the state for two consecutive days.

Sources told TOI that Rajasthan doesn't have adequate number of jammers to block internet facilities for a particular examination center therefore, the officials tend to enforce a blanket ban across many cities citing intelligence inputs about cheating gangs trying to rig the examination.

"Nobody likes to suspend internet services; it's a costly affair too. But these are important examinations where several lakhs of unemployed participate, who have waited for several years to write a single examination. Hence, we don't want to risk their careers by allowing cheaters to ruin the sanctity of an examination," an official said.

According to Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) exam calendar, the commission will hold headmaster exams in September, and sub-inspector combined competitive exams in October this year. It remains to be seen if internet services will be blocked again. The commission had on June 30 claimed that it will not block internet for RAS exams, but added that putting jammers at the examination centers is the task of district collectors and SPs who are responsible for security measures.

In March this year, the Rajasthan government was left red-faced after different cheating gangs rigged the constable recruitment examination. The examination was scrapped due to organized cheating and conducted again. "The cheating syndicates operating from Haryana, Delhi and Bihar are always vying for such examinations. We had busted as many as 100 gangs and arrested over 150 accused before the second constable recruitment examinations," a senior official said, adding that cheating mafia is so adept with new techniques that many a times candidates were found hiding small earphones deep into their ears which were removed only after a surgery.