Who was the originator of the Nath Panth cult? When Rahul Yadav of Hathras encountered this question in January 2019 in an examination for recruitment of 69,000 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh, he confidently ticked ‘Gorakhnath’ as the answer.
His conviction was based on the Class VI book on Indian icons certified by the State Council of Educational Research and Training. However, to his shock, the answer key published soon after revealed “Matsyendranath” as the correct option. He raised objection as per procedure but the amended answer key did not feature his grievances. The result was declared. Mr. Yadav scored 89 out of 150 marks, falling short by one (cut off for OBC candidates was 90) to qualify for the next stage of recruitment.
Had it not been for a dozen-odd such disputed, incorrect and ambiguous questions and answers, he believes he would have been in the reckoning for counselling. Rather, 1.5 years after the exam, Mr. Yadav is embroiled in a litigation battle in the Allahabad High Court, which on June 3 put a stay on the recruitment process on writs filed by candidates challenging the results citing discrepancies in the answer key. The court referred the provisional answer key to experts appointed by the UGC.
‘Not among choices’
On the specific question on Nath Panth, the petitioners’ argued that when the same was asked in the Trained Graduate Teacher exam, Gorakhnath was listed as the right option while Matsyandranath was not even among the four choices.
“I belive it was a deliberate attempt to fail me,” alleged Mr. Yadav. “Since 2013, I have been waiting for this appointment. But for no fault of ours, we have been hanging, running from court to court. Why does the government bring faulty orders and answer keys that forces us to go to court?”
Another candidate from Moradabad scored 87 marks, falling three short. One of the contentious questions he faced was on the first President of the Constituent Assembly of India. Like many candidates, he answered Dr. Rajendra Prasad but the answer key said it was Dr. Sachidananda Sinha. In court, one of the petitioners cited authoritative text and the official Lok Sabha website in favour of Dr. Prasad. Also, when the same question was asked in the 2011 PCS Judicial exam, Sachidananda Mishra was not even an option, they argued.
The Moradabad candidate, a Dalit, desperately needs a job as his father is retired and he has a sister to get marry off. But the litigation process has demoralized him.
“A student who graduates at 22 is stuck in filling forms and petitions till the age of 30. When will he start earning and plan for his future,” he asked.