Youth Congress demands cancellation of Optometry Exam over alleged irregularities

Allegations of corruption in the recruitment process under Tripura’s Health and Family Welfare Department have sparked protests, with a delegation led by Tripura Pradesh Youth Congress (TPYC) president Neel Kamal Saha meeting the department’s director to demand immediate action.

The Youth Congress, echoing concerns raised by job aspirants, has called for the cancellation of the recently held optometry recruitment exam and the conduct of a fresh, transparent test. The protest follows the viral circulation of question papers with answers on WhatsApp, which reportedly matched 70–80 percent of the actual exam content.

Candidates suspect the paper leak occurred before the exam, especially since no question papers or OMR carbon copies were returned from the exam hall. They also flagged multiple issues including: Errors and incomplete options in several questions, Irregular distribution of OMR sheets, Questions allegedly sourced from online PDFs and links, etc.

After submitting the deputation, TPYC president Neel Kamal Saha addressed the media, stating that the Youth Congress had already warned the Director on October 17 about procedural violations. He drew parallels with the 2024 recruitment exam, where candidates were reportedly made to write on plain paper instead of OMR sheets.

“In the recent exam held across 85 seats, similar irregularities have surfaced again,” Saha said. “We had demanded the use of OMR sheets, and while a notice was issued that night agreeing to it, no definitive syllabus was shared with candidates. Many of them have since protested, alleging gaps in the question paper and a leak.”

Saha emphasized that the Youth Congress speaks for the interests of young aspirants and has consistently demanded transparency in recruitment processes. “Unfortunately, the concerned authorities seem unwilling to listen, and genuine candidates are being left behind,” he added.

The TPYC has reiterated its demand for a re-examination conducted with full transparency and adherence to proper norms, ensuring fairness for all candidates.