Students Demand Transparency in Singareni Exams
Hyderabad: Students urged the state government to ensure transparency in the conduct of Singareni exams, in the wake of past controversies involving the leak of junior assistant exam papers and subsequent exam cancellations, where Prof. Vijay Kumar was implicated in several allegations.
The students emphasised the need for recruitment boards to restore faith among the unemployed youth. D Srikanth, one of the students, speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, said, "Recruitment boards must instill confidence in the unemployed. Also Telangana’s administration to reconsider its governance approach, particularly in light of historical movements for resources, funds, appointments, and promotions that Telangana has fought for against Andhra Pradesh."
Meanwhile, MSF leaders specifically called for the exclusion of Prof. Vijay Kumar, citing his Andhra origins, from overseeing the Singareni exams and suggested that such responsibilities should be entrusted to professors from Telangana.
The students met with Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) chairman and managing director Balram Naik and submitted a memorandum. Srikanth expressed concerns about Prof. Vijay Kumar’s alleged past involvement dating back to 2006 in corrupt practices.
Despite these issues, Prof. Kumar resurfaced and was involved in the controversial administration of the Singareni junior assistant exam, which resulted in paper leaks and subsequent scandals in Goa, he claimed. Srikanth detailed Prof. Kumar’s alleged failures during his tenure as the director of academic and planning (DAP), where he oversaw the recruitment of 155 posts, leading to paper leaks and exam cancellations.
The students noted that even the higher education department had refrained from assigning him the Eamcet convener due to his track record.
Given this history, students demanded stringent actions from the Telangana government to prevent the reappointment of such officials to key positions, thereby protecting the integrity of future recruitment processes. "Balram Naik responded positively, indicating that measures are being put in place for the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) system to ensure transparency.