Assam CM orders coaching centres to withdraw APSC success ads within a week

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday, March 4, ordered coaching centres to withdraw advertisements featuring successful candidates within a week, accusing such institutes of misusing APSC success stories and misleading aspirants.

The directive came amidst distribution of appointment letters to candidates who cleared the Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).

Addressing the newly appointed officers, Sarma said he had instructed officials to ensure that photographs of successful candidates are removed from promotional materials at the earliest. Taking a strong stand against what he described as “rote-learning factories,” the Chief Minister alleged that several coaching centres claim undue credit for candidates’ success.

“APSC should set question papers opposite to what coaching centres teach. They make students memorise a few things like parrots and then claim credit for success,” he remarked, adding that government jobs are meant for aspirants from poor and middle-class families who succeed through merit, not marketing campaigns.

Highlighting his government’s track record, Sarma stated that 1.6 lakh appointments have been provided over the past five years without a single allegation of irregularity surfacing in the media or on social platforms. “There has not been a single case, nor any negative report. At one time, securing a job through APSC required paying crores of rupees. Even transfers required lakhs,” he said.

He referred to findings documented in the report of retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma, which had detailed alleged malpractices in earlier recruitment processes. “Such practices no longer exist today,” Sarma asserted, while cautioning that integrity after appointment is an individual responsibility.

The Chief Minister cited the case of ACS officer Nupur Bora to underscore that while recruitment may be clean, personal conduct can still falter. “The government cannot monitor every action of an officer post-appointment,” he said, stressing the role of technology in strengthening accountability.

Sarma revealed that the highest number of arrests in the past five years have been of Mandals in the Revenue Department, reflecting intensified scrutiny. He warned that concealing illicit wealth would become increasingly difficult in the digital era.

“It will not be easy to hide large amounts of cash from income tax authorities. No matter where money is kept, it can come under scrutiny if required. If we decide, we can track and apprehend many accused officials within a month through technology,” he stated.

Urging the newly inducted officers not to lose ambition after entering elite services such as ACS or APS, Sarma encouraged them to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission examinations and aim higher in their careers.

The Chief Minister’s sharpest remarks, however, were reserved for coaching institutes. He directed that all advertisements using candidates’ names and photographs be withdrawn within a week and urged successful candidates to ensure their images are not used for promotional gains.