CHENNAI: The release of results for the Assistant Professor recruitment examination conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) has triggered protests among candidates, with several aspirants alleging irregularities in the evaluation of answer sheets.
The TRB examination was held in December to fill 2,708 assistant professor vacancies across 188 government arts and science colleges in the State. The examination was held for 48 subject categories. While results for five subjects were announced ahead of the elections, the results for the remaining 43 subjects were released on Thursday.
The examination, excluding the Tamil eligibility test, was for a total of 230 marks, comprising 150 marks for Part A (subject paper), 50 marks for Part B (descriptive paper), and 15 marks each for teaching experience and interview.
Candidates have raised concerns over the evaluation of the descriptive Part B, in which five questions carry 10 marks each. Several aspirants alleged that candidates who scored high marks in Part A were awarded unusually low marks in Part B.
They cited instances where a candidate who secured 116 out of 150 in Part A was given zero out of 50 in Part B, while others received marks as high as 49. Many candidates claimed that their Part B scores did not reflect their actual performance.
Some aspirants also pointed out that the marks awarded for Part B are treated as final, leaving no scope for review. “Despite writing the examination well, I received only 8 marks. This raises serious concerns,” a candidate said.
V Thangaraj, president of the Tamil Nadu Government College UGC-qualified Guest Lecturers Association, said complaints had also surfaced regarding the marks awarded for teaching experience, raising further doubts about the evaluation process.
He urged Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to intervene and ensure fairness. “The results must be acceptable to all candidates. If transparency cannot be ensured, the examination should be cancelled and conducted again in a fair manner,” he said.
The TRB has not issued an official response to the allegations so far. Meanwhile, thousands of candidates have demanded a detailed review of the evaluation process.