Guwahati bustles as Assam Direct Recruitment Exam draws 1.67L candidates

Guwahati, Sept 15: The city’s usually serene Sunday morning was transformed into a hive of activity as the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination 2024 (ADRE) for Grade III positions took centre stage.

The city saw traffic jams, crowded public transport, and long queues stretching outside educational institutions as over 1.67 lakh candidates arrived at 329 examination centres across Kamrup (Metro) for one of the state's largest recruitment exams.

The scale of the event was palpable from early in the morning, as candidates from various corners of Assam gathered with a mix of excitement and anxiety in Guwahati.

At Cotton University, one of the prominent exam centres, hundreds of hopefuls lined up well before the gates opened; their faces were a canvas of dreams and determination.

“We are pleased with how the government has handled this year's examination. The process is disciplined, with strict security measures in place. We also appreciate that the Internet has been cut to prevent cheating and other unethical practices,” said the student, on the condition of anonymity, post the exams.

State-wide, the recruitment drive has attracted a staggering 11,23,204 candidates competing for 12,600 vacancies across 2,305 centres.

Earlier, the government, in a bid to check unethical means in the exams, had banned internet in districts hosting the exams for three hours on Sundays.

“To ensure that there remain no loopholes in the examination process which might create doubt in the public mind regarding the fairness of the recruitment process, the Government of Assam has taken necessary steps to temporarily disable mobile internet/mobile data/mobile/Wi-Fi connectivity on 15th September 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m,” a notification issued on Saturday night, read.

Previously on September 11, in a bid to organise transparent examination, the government had introduced the Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, 2024.

The new law insist on severe penalties for those caught engaging in unfair practices, including up to three years in prison and fines up to Rs 10 lakh.

On September 8, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had convened a meeting with District Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure the smooth execution of the ADRE 2024 for Grade III and Class IV examinations.