INDORE/BHOPAL: Facing steep criticism in question paper leak case of Ayurvedic Medical officers exam, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) on Monday stripped Shrikrishna Sharma of exam controller’s post and appointed Kirti Khurasia in his place.
Khurasia was deputy exam controller and was under Sharma, who now has been moved to law and right to information section of the MPPSC. Sharma is on deputation at the PSC. Fingers were raised many a times at him over alleged malpractice in the PSC exams but Sharma, given his strong contacts in the state government always managed to evade action. But this time he could not.
Though his involvement in the paper leak case has not been proved as yet and a departmental probe is underway. Sharma’s failure to ensure that exam papers remain confidential was a reason strong enough for his removal from the post of exam controller.
It is to be noted that recruitment test paper for the post of ayurved medical officers was leaked ahead of the exams on May 18. A professor of Ashtang Ayurveda College in the city, Dr Sukh Sagar Dwivedi, who was proof reader for question paper of MPPSC’s Ayurveda medical officer’s examination, had allegedly leaked 110 out of 120 questions to state member of Central Council for Indian Medicine — Dr Surendra Patel for Rs 7 lakh.
Dr Patel allegedly sold it to nine other candidates for Rs 7 to 10 lakh, said STF sources. Following the information, STF officials arrested Dwivedi and two candidates Dr Saurabh Sharma and Dr Ajay Sharma. The duo candidates had procured the leaked question paper from Dr Sunil Pathak, who too was arrested. It was believed that more than 300 students had appeared the exam after getting leaked questions.
STF on Saturday had arrested four ayurveda doctors and booked 26 others for their role in the MPPSC paper leak. The exam was held for 722 vacant posts of medical officers. Around 8,000 students appeared for it at 14 different examination centres in Indore. This exam was held after 25 years.
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