Srinagar: The J&K Public Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday clarified that the selection of Burhan Ahad figuring at Sr No 31 in the selection list under Open category for the post of Assistant Professor (Botany) is “purely based” on merit.
The JKPSC in a statement said that it has come to the notice of the Commission that some candidates have alleged that the selection of Burhan Ahad figuring at Sr. No. 31 in the select list under Open Category for the post of Assistant Professor (Botany) is manipulated as the said candidate was not figuring in the interview schedule.
“In this context, it is hereby notified for the information of all concerned, that the said candidate namely Burhan Ahad had applied for the said post in the year 2013 in pursuance of notification No. 09-PSC (DR-P) of 2013 dated 23-05-2013. The said notification was superseded by another Notification No. 12-PSC(DR-P) of 2014 dated 29-05-2014 wherein while notifying the posts, it was also notified that the candidates who had earlier applied in pursuance to Notification No.09-PSC (DR-P) of 2013 dated 23-05-2013 need not to apply again subject to eligibility,” the statement states.
It further states that Since Burhan Ahad had already applied in the year 2013, as such, was not required to apply again in pursuance to Notification issued in the year 2014.
During the intervening period, Burhan Ahad had acquired MPhil Degree from the University of Kashmir on 23-08-2013 which was submitted by him before the Commission. However, inadvertently the same was not incorporated while calculating his merit for short listing/interview.
After issuing the interview schedule, Burhan Ahad again represented before the Commission during the interview process on 18-01-2017 with the request to consider his MPhil Degree for weightage in accordance with short listing criteria.
The statement further said that the matter was examined and it was found that Burhan Ahad has acquired MPhil Degree well before cutoff date of Notification No. 12-PSC(DR-P) of 2014 dated 29-05-2014 and is entitled for 04 additional marks for his MPhil Degree in the short listing criteria and by adding his 04 additional marks to his overall weightage of 58.46 , his revised points came to be 62.46 and as such was falling well within the short listing criteria as the last candidate who was called for interview had secured 62.24 points and was accordingly allowed to sit in the interview.
The statement also said that in his place, Hamid Iqbal Tak who was shortlisted for interview vide Notice dated 15-01-2017 was excluded from the interview list of eligible candidates as the said candidate had less points than that of Burhan Ahad.
However, Hamid Iqbal Tak was later interviewed on the directions of the High Court.
Burhan Ahad has made entry in the selection zone “purely on the basis of his overall performance in the interview, academic merit and other related parameters”, JKPSC clarifies.
