In a development that calls into doubt the academic and professional competency of civil, electrical, mechanical, and horticulture assistant engineers/sub divisional engineers (AEs/SDEs), approximately 89 per cent of them failed the departmental professional test in Haryana.

This was revealed when Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Department, recently announced the results of the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) test, which took place in May of this year, The Tribune reports.

Only seven of the 61 AEs/SDEs who took the exam were "declared pass in all papers," with the others listed as "papers yet to be passed."

While some candidates passed some of the six papers, many were declared "absent" in one or more of them.

The high failure rate contradicted the Haryana government's claims of "merit-based" recruitment of AEs/SDEs through the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), a senior officer told The Tribune, who added that "it has brought their technical expertise and domain knowledge" under scrutiny.

The official further stated that failure in the department examination could result in disqualification, exclusion from future exams, and even a negative entry in the annual confidential report (ACR).

The results come just after 56 per cent of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying staff, including veterinary doctors, failed the departmental exam, according to The Tribune.