Chandigarh: Following a controversy on Sunday, the Punjab government has cancelled the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET).
Education Minister Harjot Bains in a series of tweets said, “To maintain complete fairness in our examination process, a PS level probe has been ordered to look in to PSTET exam conducted by a third Party with GNDU. Accountability will be fixed & those found guilty will be booked for criminal negligence.
“Further, GNDU has regretted & will re-conduct the exam without any fees. In future, have ordered my department to have a suitable clause for compensation in the MOU’s signed with third parties for compensation of the candidates in such a scenario. Why should candidates suffer.”
2 GNDU professors suspended
Taking swift action against irregularities in the Teacher Eligibility Test exam, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has suspended two GNDU professors allegedly found guilty in the case and ordered their immediate arrest.
They are Dr Hardeep Singh, professor, Department of Computer Science and Dr Ravinder Singh Sawhney, professor, Department of Electronics Technology at the Guru Nanak Dev University. They have been placed under suspension with immediate effect.
Mann also directed the Police department to immediately arrest the perpetrators of the irregularities. He has asked the police force to take exemplary action against the guilty so that it acts as a deterrent for others. The Chief Minister said that the irregularities in this exam is a fraud with the careers of the youth which can never be tolerated. Mann said this is a heinous crime which is unwarranted and undesirable due to which he has directed the police to take stringent action against the culprits. He said any such breach of trust will not be acceptable.
The Chief Minister said the state government is duty bound to ensure that the guilty in this case is behind the bars at the earliest. Mann unequivocally said that any sort of callousness in this prestigious exam will not be tolerated. He said no one, however affluent he may be, will not be spared.