Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) is working on conducting Group I exam in the State on January 3, 2021, in a fool-proof system. In Ooty, TNPSC Chairman Balachandran recently said that the candidates will have to mark on an OMR sheet the number of questions they answer which the invigilator concerned will verify and certify. He also said that the OMR sheet will have two parts -- one where details of the candidate would be entered and another with a barcode.

After writing the exam, only the barcode portion will be scanned to not disclose the candidate's identity. The answer sheets will be locked in a box bearing GPS-fixed lock but the code for the same will be known only to the controller. None can open the box without his knowledge, he added.

The Chairman confirmed that 2.56 lakh candidates have registered in the state to take up Group I exam and 1.80 lakh out of them have downloaded their hall tickets. As many found it difficult to upload Aadhaar details, OTP facility has been introduce to download hall tickets, he further said.

On conducting tests during the pandemic, the Chairman said that even during the testing times, exams were conducted for government departments in Tamil Nadu and military college in Dehardun. Now, the TNPSC has sought permission from the government to conduct Group I exam with 856 exam centres across the State, he said adding that 1,016 candidates have registered to take up the test at three centres in The Nilgiris.