New Delhi: The Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC), in its latest report on strengthening public administration and functioning of state machinery, has renewed national focus on time-bound government recruitment, examination integrity, and the urgent need for standardised, technology-enabled examination infrastructure. The report underscores the importance of structural reforms in state’s recruitment eco-system aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency, accountability, and modernising administrative processes to address contemporary governance challenges.
Among its key recommendations, the GARC report calls for a systematic transition towards computer-based and OMR examinations through credible third-party infrastructure, supported by uniform standards for examination centres, enhanced monitoring mechanisms, and technology-driven transparency. These measures, the Commission notes, are critical to ensuring fairness, speed, and credibility in high-stakes public examinations, while also reducing prolonged recruitment timelines that adversely affect candidates and government departments alike.
Significantly, the GARC report says that as part of its efforts to strengthen examination infrastructure, the government can partner with the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to utilize the advanced facilities of the upcoming Aadarsh Pariksha Kendras (APKs) in Gujarat. The concept of APKs has been introduced by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), APKs represent a shift from ad-hoc, venue-dependent arrangements to purpose-built, standardised examination hubs, designed to meet the operational, security, and scalability requirements of large public examinations. Their growing adoption highlights the increasing importance of dedicated examination infrastructure in strengthening institutional trust and execution reliability.
Conceptualized and developed by Innovatiview India Limited (IIL), Aadarsh Pariksha Kendras are built on the core principles of integrity, transparency, operational efficiency, and candidate convenience. APKs feature AI-enabled CCTV surveillance with zero blind spots, biometric verification zones, controlled access protocols, secured printing and material handling areas, and centrally monitored command-and-control rooms. Designed to support both computer-based and pen & paper-based examinations, these centres provide uniform candidate facilities, including air-conditioned halls, adequate workstation spacing, a cafeteria and waiting zones ensuring a secure, standardized, and stress-free examination environment.
The APK framework directly addresses systemic challenges highlighted in the GARC report, such as inconsistent centre capabilities, capacity limitations, fragmented monitoring, and over-dependence on temporary venues. Importantly, the APK model restores control and autonomy of the infrastructure layer in the examination eco-system to examination authorities. Instead of relying on disparate third-party venues, authorities gain access to dedicated centres where security protocols, monitoring standards, candidate facilities, and operational workflows are institutionally governed. This enables greater oversight, uniformity in execution, and accountability—key objectives emphasised by the GARC in its reform agenda.
The APK model has already been executed at scale in the state of Bihar in partnership with the Bihar School Examination Board. 10 centers are already operational across 09 districts of Bihar, including 2 centers in Patna with an aggregate capacity of over 23,500 seats nationally, including 3 centers in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.. Several high-stakes examinations, such as SSC, RRB & AIIMS along with various state body examinations, have been successfully hosted at these centers since their inception last year.
This on-ground execution establishes APKs not as a pilot concept, but as a proven, replicable infrastructure model capable of supporting national and state-level examination ecosystems.
As governments across states intensify efforts to reform recruitment processes and rebuild public confidence in examinations, Aadarsh Pariksha Kendras demonstrate how policy intent can be translated into dependable execution through technology-enabled, standardized infrastructure. The alignment between GARC’s recommendations and the APK model underscores a decisive shift towards institutionalized examination ecosystems—anchored in transparency, scalability, and trust.
With examination integrity and timely recruitment now central to governance outcomes, the convergence of reform frameworks like GARC and operational models such as Aadarsh Pariksha Kendras signals a future where public examinations are conducted in secure, predictable, and purpose-built environments, supported by capable technology partners and strong institutional oversight.
