Haryana Row: 'HPSC Copied 26 Questions, Used AI in Assistant Professor Exam'

'HPSC’s revised answer key deepened the crisis, with correct answers arbitrarily marked wrong in many cases.'

Students and teachers have raised questions about the way HPSC conducted its Assistant Professor examination.

(Illustration made using Midjouney, directed by Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

As a teacher who has spent years mentoring students aspiring to become assistant professors, I find it difficult to put into words the pain and disillusionment I feel today. These students are passionate, hardworking individuals who put everything on hold when the much-awaited recruitment drive was announced by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) in August 2024, the first such opportunity since 2019.

With 2,424 vacancies across 26 subjects, and over 1.5 lakh applicants, it felt like a long-overdue moment of justice. But that hope was short-lived as the exam unravelled into one of the most distressing scandals in recent academic history.  

Procedural Lapses, Malpractice

From the outset, the process was plagued by procedural lapses and grave allegations of malpractice.

The first major shock came on 29 May during the Political Science examination when reports surfaced that the question paper seal had been broken even before the exam commenced.

Still reeling from this, candidates walked into the Hindi examination, which took place on 1 June—only to find six paper packets allegedly unsealed.

Initially, the HPSC attempted to downplay the issue, claiming that the seal damage was a packaging error. However, under massive public and media pressure, they were forced to cancel the Hindi exam on 3 June.

'Serious Issues Of Plagiarism With Geography Paper'

The most outrageous turn came with the Geography exam held on 8 June. What we uncovered in that paper was not just incompetence, but blatant academic fraud.

A total of 26 questions were found to be directly lifted from the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination, with six more questions partially copied, making a total of 32 plagiarised questions.

One of the 32 questions of HPSC Assistant Professor (Geography) examination that matches with BPSC question paper.

(Accessed by The Quint)

This plagiarism wasn't just a coincidence. It raised serious concerns about the integrity of the examination process, particularly given that HPSC Chairman, Alok Verma, has previously held positions in Bihar.

My students who had spent years poring over NCERTs, academic journals, and standard textbooks were made to feel like fools for believing that hard work mattered. 

'Wrong Answer Keys Have Been Released'

As if this breach wasn't enough, the HPSC’s revised answer key only deepened the crisis. In several instances, correct answers were arbitrarily marked wrong.

One of the many questions flagged by candidates and teachers for allegedly having an incorrect answer in the official answer key.

(Accessed by The Quint)

One such case was Question 46 in the Geography paper, which was identical to a question in the 2017 Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) exam. The correct answer, Jean Gottmann, is widely accepted in standard texts.

Multiple books, including the Class XII NCERT, says that Megalopolis was the term coined by Jean Gottman in 1957, but the HPSC commission answer key says Patrick Geddes.

(Accessed by The Quint)

Yet, without any academic justification or NCERT support, the revised key replaced it with Patrick Geddes. Students personally met the commission chairman with proof from previous answer keys and textbooks, but their concerns were dismissed. 

In the answer key, Option C – Patrick Geddes has been marked as the correct answer, which contradicts what is stated in most authoritative sources, including NCERT, where Jean Gottmann is credited with coining the term Megalopolis.

(Accessed by The Quint)

Furthermore, the revised key deleted 10 questions in total, six of which were academically valid and well-supported by authoritative texts. For instance, Questions 17 and 20 were confidently attempted by most students based on standard references, yet they were simply scrapped.

In another shocking move, five questions that had more than one academically correct answers were not awarded grace marks, nor were alternative answers considered correct.

Deleted questions in the answer keys of Geography question paper.

(Accessed by The Quint)

The UPSC, known for its rigorous standards, offers partial or full credit in such situations—but the HPSC showed no such fairness. To make matters worse, several other questions, which students had answered correctly based on established knowledge, were later marked wrong, resulting in negative marking. In the Geography exam alone, at least 17 questions were found to be deeply flawed. 

'Suspected Use of AI'

When all of this wasn’t enough, several students and educators also raised concerns about how the questions were set. The use of AI, particularly ChatGPT, has also been suspected.

For example, in Question 93 shown below, why are there two asterisks present despite no corresponding footnotes? Such asterisks are commonly seen in outputs generated by ChatGPT.

Two asterisks appear in Question 93 of the Geography question paper, despite there being no corresponding footnotes.

(Accessed by The Quint)

(The Quint could not independently verify the claimed use of AI in drafting the question paper of the HPSC examination.)

The emotional and psychological toll on students has been devastating. Many of them have been preparing for this opportunity for over seven years. They sacrificed their jobs, trusting that their dedication would one day be rewarded.

Instead, they found themselves at the mercy of a system that appeared to reward insider access over academic merit, and manipulation over transparency. 

This is not just a story about examination errors. This is a story of broken dreams, of systemic betrayal, and of a deeply compromised institution. The HPSC must be held accountable: A judicial inquiry must be initiated, the current commission must be dissolved, and a re-examination conducted under independent and transparent supervision.

Anything less would be a grave injustice to the thousands of students whose only fault was believing in a fair system. 

We, as educators and citizens, owe it to every honest, hardworking aspirant to demand justice — not just for their careers, but for the very idea of meritocracy that forms the backbone of any democratic society. 

HPSC's Response To Answer Key's Claims

On the answer key issue, specifically in the Geography question paper, the HPSC in a public announcement on 7 July, said, "A large number of representations/objections were candidates on the final answer key. These objections have Committee of Subject Experts, and there is no change in the final by the commission on its website."

HPSC’s announcement regarding the answer key issue for the Geography exam.

(Accessed by The Quint)

(The Quint has reached out to HPSC. Their response in awaited. The story would be updated as and when they respond.)

(Ankit Vaishnav is a Geography educator who trains candidates preparing for competitive exams.)

(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)