Job aspirants in Madhya Pradesh have staged protests after the results of a government recruitment examination showed a candidate scoring 101.66 marks out of 100.
The examination, conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board for forest and jail department posts, declared the results on December 13.
The unusual score was attributed to the “normalisation” process, which adjusts candidates’ marks to account for variations in the difficulty levels of question papers across different sessions.
The board clarified that the process, implemented as per rules, can result in scores exceeding 100 or even falling below zero.
On Monday, a group of unemployed youths gathered outside the district collector’s office in Indore, demanding a fair inquiry into the matter. Protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
“This is the first time in the state’s history that a candidate has scored more than the total marks,” said Gopal Prajapat, a leader of the protest. He criticized the normalisation process as “unfair” and alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination. Prajapat added that if their concerns are not addressed, aspirants would intensify their agitation.
The controversy arose from the joint recruitment examination held in 2023 for positions such as forest guard, field guard (executive), and jail guard (executive). The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board has yet to respond to the demands for a re-evaluation of the process.
Job seekers remain firm in their call for transparency, insisting that a comprehensive investigation is necessary to restore trust in the recruitment process.