The Himachal Pradesh government has introduced sweeping changes to the State Selection Commission’s functioning through amendments to the Commission (Business and Procedure) Rules 2024. The Personnel Department has issued a gazette notification making recruitment examinations more transparent and technology-driven.
Under the new rules, all recruitment examinations conducted by the State Selection Commission will be held under CCTV surveillance. Candidates found involved in examination misconduct, hacking, or using Bluetooth devices will face a lifetime ban from appearing in any government recruitment examination.
Enhanced security measures
Question papers and answer sheets will be stored in strong rooms with double lockers under 24-hour surveillance. All records will be preserved securely for at least one year. Posts with similar qualifications will be clubbed together, though regular and job trainee positions will remain separate categories.
Admit cards will now feature QR codes and barcodes for enhanced security. Candidates will receive examination-related information through SMS and email. Departments must submit recruitment proposals online through the recruitment directorate, while other boards, corporations, and enterprises can send vacancies with government approval.
Application and examination procedures
The minimum application period has been set at 21 days. All officers involved in examinations and paper setters must provide no-relation certificates. When candidate numbers are low, examinations will be conducted using OMR sheets.
The Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission Hamirpur will now be renamed simply as Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission. OBC, EWS, and BPL certificates must be presented at the time of application deadline and document verification.
Candidates who fill incorrect categories will get correction opportunities only within the specified time frame. Visually impaired and disabled candidates will receive assistants for writing and an additional 20 minutes per hour of examination time. They can bring their own assistants provided the assistant has lower qualifications than the applied post. Separate examination centers can be established when necessary.
Strict anti-cheating measures
Under existing laws, those found involved in unfair practices will face 10 years imprisonment and lifetime ban from examinations. The rules define misconduct to include attempts to tamper with computers at examination centers, hacking remote servers, and using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or any electronic devices.
Activities categorized as misconduct include computer tampering at exam centers, attempting to hack remote servers or computers, and using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other electronic gadgets.
Administrative and procedural changes
Reserved category candidates from outside Himachal Pradesh will be considered under the general category. Commission fees will be determined following government guidelines. The examination controller will be the commission secretary, with assistant registrar/section officer serving as additional controller.
Drawing and disbursement officer responsibilities will rest with department heads, office heads, and joint controllers. Commission meeting agendas will be prepared by secretary/assistant registrar, with meeting minutes circulated within seven days.
Candidates applying for recruitment examinations will be responsible for ensuring their educational institutions are recognized. Application summaries will be prepared the day after the final deadline. Examination centers will be selected based on infrastructure availability, with controllers managing paper setters and evaluators.
Recruitment advertisements will be published in both Hindi and English newspapers. All decisions will be formally communicated through secretary/authorized officers, and decisions will remain valid even in the absence of some members, provided all officers sign and permanently preserve the records.
