NSUI Nagaland flags irregularities in Forest Guard recruitment exam

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland unit of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has alleged irregularities in the recently held Forest Guard recruitment examination conducted by the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change.

In a press release issued on Saturday, the union cited numerous complaints and feedback from candidates; it alleged that the examination lacked professionalism and transparency.

“Candidates were not provided with OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets, a basic standard in any competitive examination. Instead, they were instructed to mark their answers directly in the test booklet, which was then collected by the department.

“There were also reports of correction pens being brought into the examination hall. This creates a high potential for manipulation and tampering, which cannot and should not be ignored,” it stated.

Further controversy emerged after images of a test booklet allegedly in the possession of a department employee began circulating on social media.

The NSUI described the department’s response to this incident as vague and unsatisfactory.

Also read: Nearly 15,000 aspirants undergo physical test for Forest Guard posts in Nagaland

The student body also claimed that certain candidates who had failed the mandatory walking/physical test were still allowed to sit for the written examination, and that overage candidates were reportedly permitted to appear in violation of the eligibility criteria.

“Confusion also prevailed across various exam centres due to conflicting instructions regarding negative marking. While some centres informed candidates that there would be no negative marking, others did not, leading to widespread confusion and unfair disadvantage to many.

“What is most shocking and unacceptable is that in numerous examination centres across the state, there was no proper verification of documents to confirm the identity of the candidates. Such negligence not only violates basic examination protocols but also opens the door for impersonation, compromising the credibility and fairness of the recruitment process,” it added.

According to the union, it would be filing a Right to Information (RTI) application after the recruitment process concludes to seek factual clarity on these issues. It also urged the Forest Department to address the concerns transparently and take corrective measures to restore the trust of aspirants.