Cuttack: Orissa High Court has ordered for re-examination for appointment of History lecturers in non-government aided colleges.

Hearing a petition alleging error in questions for the written examination, the High Court bench of Justice BR Sarangi asked the State Selection Board (SSB) of Higher Education Department to re-conduct the written test for the appointment within six weeks of receiving the order.

As per the directive, the candidates will not be issued admit card for the re-examination. The eligible applicants, who had attended the test conducted in March this year, can appear in the examination.

The SSB has been asked to take initiative for early announcement of results after the written examination.

According to reports, the SSB had issued a notification in 2018 for written examination for filling up of 833 lecturer posts in various subjects in aided private colleges. Out of total posts,  81 were for History subject. The admit card was issued to the candidates after Feb 16, 2019 and examination was held on March 10, 2019, at centres in Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur.

However, a couple of errors was allegedly identified by the candidates in the question paper that carried 165 marks. Besides, the candidates also alleged mistakes in 25 questions that were reportedly out of syllabus.

Even after allegation, the SSB failed to take any steps to rectify the errors and remained silent on the issue. Later, the applicants moved the High Court against the SSB and Higher Education Department.

In a preliminary hearing on June 27, 2019, the court had issued an interim order as well as notice to the SSB mentioning that final decision of the written examination in relation to the appointment of the History lecturers could not be taken without permission of the court.