Will conducting SSC online help?
Will conducting SSC online help?
Introduction
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is an organisation in India which recruits the staff for the job posts in various ministries and departments of the Government of India.
The IMG Khan Committee, which was formed on February 13 this year, gave several recommendations to improve the SSC system. The main recommendation was to conduct the SSC exam online. The IMG Khan committee consisted of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the chairmanship of the former UPSC member IMG Khan. The committee also recommended that the SSC should have a control over the exam technology environment.
SSC will be soon conducting its exams online. The online registrations have been made compulsory except in the North East region as it would require some time. The candidates can apply even with the help of mobiles. Let us see whether conducting SSC online is useful or not.
Yes – It will make the process faster.
1. Cheap – Conducting the SSC exam online would be cheap as there would be no expenditure on the printing or distribution of the papers. There would also be less expense on the supply of provisions.
2. Developed nation – Our education system has improved over the past few years. Switching to conducting online exams is a sign of development. We have moved ahead in the technology sector too.
3. Maintain confidentiality – Conducting online exams would prevent the leaking of question papers. There won't be any loss of data even if the electricity and the internet are interrupted.
4. Multiple options – Because it is a government exam, there would be an option to select your language. It can be Hindi, English or any regional language. It would be very easy for the candidate to attend the exam with just one click.
5. Feedback – There would be a provision to give the feedback by the candidate at the end of the exam. It can be given instantly. This will help to improve the exams further while conducting the next SSC online.
No- Computer literacy should not come in the way of entrance exams.
1. Computer illiteracy – SSC includes candidates from all over India including the rural areas. There may be candidates who may have little or no knowledge of the computers. It will be difficult for them to attend the online exam.
2. Lack of technology – India is a developing nation. Most of the areas in India still lack proper technology. SSC exam consists of candidates even from the rural India and hence, there might be exam centres in those places. Lack of technology in these areas will be a hindrance for them to attempt it.
3. Unfaithful – Conducting the exam online can encourage the candidate to be unfaithful and indulge in cheating as the answers might be available on the internet.
4. No privacy – The page can be accessed by anyone who might have the login id and password. Conducting the exam online may breach privacy.
5. Creates tension – The server may get interrupted during the exam, due to poor technology. This may panic the candidate.
Conclusion
Conducting the SSC exam online is a good recommendation by the IMG Khan committee. But it would have its own advantages and limitations. Before the implementation, all the short-comings should be taken into a serious consideration.
Discussion
- RE: Will conducting SSC online help? -Deepa Kaushik (12/30/14)
- Conducting the SSC exams online gains points on many notes. It would help in saving the manpower and doesn’t require the infrastructural requirement right from the selection of the exam centre till the printing cost of the examination question and answer sheets. It would reduce the time required for the submission merging and accumulation for the preparation of the result. The online examination can provide an immediate result with respect t the percentage of marks obtained. To a great extent it would be helpful in retaining the transparency from the examiner point of view that the cheating procedure could not be arranged or entertained at the centres.
Still, we cannot deny that the aspirants would be open to internet option. Also, we cannot rely that the applicant is the one who has attempted the question. It could give way to the foul play like the aspirants could be helped or dictated by someone else nearby. The aspirants so chosen would not be worthy enough to justify their duties and responsibilities. An open book test is understandable, as even an open book test requires the candidate to be aware of the recordings into the book. But, such an online examination could prove fatal for the organization. Also, the lack of technology could be another concern for the deserving candidates.
Precisely, if SSC wants to make use of the technology, they need to find a mid way out for maintaining transparency and getting the deserving candidate selected. The examinations could be conducted using the technology, but it would be better if the candidates are allotted with the examination centres for having an unbiased attitude towards the aspirants.
