Latest news with #OCSC
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Met Éireann spends almost €500,000 on planning consultants in 18 months
Met Éireann has spent almost €500,000 on private planning consultants in the last 18 months, new figures show. Engineering consultancy company O'Connor Sutton Cronin (OCSC) was paid a total of €475,671 after the start of 2024 to advise on the expansion of the State's weather radar network. It is the largest spend on a single planning consultancy company by the Department of Housing , which oversees Met Éireann, over the last five years. The figures, released in response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould , also show the department spent more than €1.4 million on private planning consultants since 2020. READ MORE The highest amount was spent last year, €450,937, with the bulk of this made up by €336,934 which went to OCSC. A further €138,737 was paid to the company earlier this year. Met Éireann said it appointed OCSC to 'provide consultative expertise for the preliminary design and planning phase of a programme to expand the current weather radar network for Ireland'. The company provides expertise from various professionals including a project director, architect, civil engineer, structural engineer, mechanical and electrical engineer, quantity surveyor, environmental officer, planner, archaeologist and fire and safety officer. Met Éireann said the expansion project will see the number of radars across the country increase from two to seven, and represents a 'significant infrastructural and scientific investment'. It is likely another huge spend will be paid out this year — Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD The expanded network is needed 'to ensure optimal rainfall monitoring coverage and improving the detection of severe rainfall events that are expected to become more frequent in a warming climate', the forecaster said. The project is still in a development phase and no new equipment has been bought with this money. Met Éireann could not say how much would be spent on the project in total. The next highest spend on one single planning consultant by the department was €110,467 with Brendan McGrath and Associates, an urban and rural planning consultant based in Co Clare. [ Why is it so warm this week in Ireland? Opens in new window ] The third highest spend was €110,103 with Tobin Consulting Engineers in 2020. Corresponding procurement logs show this related to a report on the rural water sector. Commenting on the figures, Mr Gould said it showed the State was 'wasting our money and failing to provide real decent jobs'. He said additional staff should be recruited to carry out such work rather than paying for private firms, the cost of which 'has increased substantially from under €60,000 in 2019 to almost €500,000 last year". He added: 'Given that we are just over halfway through 2025 and a quarter of a million has been spent, it is likely another huge spend will be paid out this year.' He called on the Minister to publish a value-for-money assessment of the use of private firms and a full list of the work they have undertaken. Mr Gould said: 'I am sick of seeing money wasted in the middle of a housing crisis and spent on everything except building the homes that people so desperately need.'
Bangkok Post
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
OCSC tightens grip on exam cheating problem
The Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) has reaffirmed its confidence in rigorous anti-cheating measures for civil service entrance examinations, says Deputy Secretary-General Kitipong Maharatthanawong. His remarks come in response to recent allegations of a sophisticated cheating ring, exposed by the Facebook page Thammasat Exam Center. The page revealed the existence of modern cheating networks that use advanced tools -- such as credit card-sized devices embedded with SIM cards paired with bean-sized wireless earpieces -- to evade scanners. These networks also hire individuals to collect and relay exam information from outside the halls. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, Mr Kitipong outlined the OCSC's multi-layered security protocols, aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the selection process for roughly 400,000 civil service positions under its jurisdiction. He said the recruitment process comprises three stages: a general aptitude test (Part A), which is directly overseen by the OCSC and taken by 500,000–600,000 candidates annually; a specific knowledge test (Part B); and a job suitability test (Part C). Parts B and C are administered independently by individual government agencies. For Part A, the OCSC employs multiple standardised test sets, making in-room copying extremely difficult. Answer sheets also have varied layouts to further deter cheating. Even the question writers do not know which set will be used, as the final selection is drawn by lottery just before the exam. On exam day, papers are transported under tight security to locked examination rooms monitored by CCTV. A management committee oversees every step under a system of checks and balances, ensuring that no single individual has full oversight of the process. "I myself have never seen the exam questions; my duty is merely to draw lots," Mr Kitipong said. Deterring fraud, upholding integrity Mr Kitipong said the grading process for Part A is fully automated, relying on machines and computerised systems to eliminate human error or bias. Candidates must pass all three subjects in the Part A exam -- general knowledge and aptitude, English language and civil service ethics -- in order to advance. Those who pass retain their scores indefinitely, allowing them to apply for open positions at any time. He said penetrating the OCSC's system is difficult. However, persistent efforts by organised groups using high-tech tools remain a concern. All exam centres are equipped with metal detectors. After each exam, papers are collected and destroyed under strict supervision by both hired companies and OCSC officials. Mr Kitipong denied claims of "leaked OCSC exam papers" from previous years. While some individuals may memorise questions, the physical papers are never leaked -- they are securely destroyed after every session. The OCSC also reduces repeat attempts by barring individuals who have already passed the general knowledge exam from retaking it, forcing cheating networks to constantly find new participants. He acknowledged the possibility of insider involvement and said the OCSC is working to implement internal disciplinary measures for such cases. The Civil Service Act, he said, already requires the immediate disqualification of anyone convicted of exam fraud. However, legal appeals are allowed, which means prosecutors must have robust evidence such as CCTV footage and signed documents.
Glasgow Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Rangers player Stephen Kelly makes surprise transfer move
The 25-year-old midfielder was out of contract at Livingston and decided not to renew his deal. Instead, he has chosen to head to the United States to play in the USL Championship. Kelly said: "I am delighted to have joined OCSC. Read more: "This opportunity was a really exciting one that I felt I wanted to make the most of when I first heard from the club. "Hopefully, this can be a successful period for the club, and I am looking forward to playing at home on Saturday in front of the fans." Kelly, who came through the Rangers academy, was on the fringes of the first team as a teenager before going on loan to Ayr United, Ross County and Salford. He made a permanent move to Livingston in 2022 and became a key player for them.
India Today
12-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
5 Indian students selected for International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
Five students have been selected to represent India at the 2025 International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), set to be held in Mumbai this August. The selection was made during the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp (OCSC) organised at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), camp, held by IISER Mohali, provided hands-on training and tested students' understanding of astronomy and astrophysics. The 37 students who attended the camp were shortlisted from about 500 candidates who appeared for the Indian National Astronomy Jasjeet Singh Bagla of the Department of Physical Sciences at IISER Mohali said that 54 students had qualified for the camp based on their national-level exam ranks. Out of them, 37 took part in the training, and five were finally selected to form the national team for IOAA AWARDS AND EXPERT SESSIONS MARK THE JOURNEY TO IOAA 2025The selected students are Aarush Mishra, Sumant Gupta, Banibrata Majee, Panini, and Akshat Srivastava. These students will represent India in the international event, which brings together some of the best young minds in astronomy from across the awards were also given to students based on their performance during the camp. Aarush Mishra received the CL Bhat Memorial Award for overall Gupta earned recognition for the best score in the observational test. Akshat Srivastava stood out by winning two awards -- for theory and data training at the camp included sessions on telescope handling, sky observation, lectures, and problem-solving OCSC is usually organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), year, with HBCSE hosting the IOAA, the task of training and selecting the team was given to IISER and experts from various institutes, including IIT Kanpur, NISER Bhubaneswar, IUCAA Pune, and others, helped conduct the camp. A guest lecture by Professor Dipankar Bhattacharya of Ashoka University focused on the use of different wavebands in astronomy.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
India's Astronomy Olympiad training camp concludes at IISER Mohali
The Astronomy Olympiad Orientation Cum Selection Camp (OCSC) is being held at IISER Mohali. The camp aims to provide training to bright students selected through national-level exams and also test their understanding of concepts and techniques in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A total of 54 students were selected for Astronomy OCSC from among the nearly 500 students who took the Indian National Astronomy Olympiad and ranked among the top in their respective groups. Group A consisted of students in Class 12, group B consisted of students in class 10 or 11. The selection is based on rank and subject preferences for students. Of these, 37 students from different parts of India are participating in the OCSC, a team of five students will represent the country in at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2025 (IOAA), which is to be held in Mumbai, India in August 2025. The OCSC consists of lectures, tutorials, telescope setup and handling sessions and sky observation sessions. Normally the Astronomy OCSC is organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, a centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai (HBCSE-TIFR). However, this year, as HBCSE is hosting the IOAA, the task of selecting and training the Indian team was given to IISER Mohali. A team of astronomers from Central University, Haryana, Mahendargarh, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, IIT Kanpur, Ashoka University, Sonepat, Central University, Himachal Shahpur, and IISER Mohali worked together to do the groundwork and conduct the OCSC. Sessions in the training program were anchored by resource persons from these institutes as well as scientists from Raman Research Institute Bangalore, Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bangalore, National Institute for Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar and the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, etc. Some members from the core group will accompany the students as team leaders and scientific observers to the IOAA. The selection of the final team was announced during the valedictory function held at IISER Mohali on June 11, 2025. There was a special lecture by Professor Dipankar Bhattacharya from Ashoka University. He spoke about imaging in different wavebands in Astronomy. This was followed by distribution of certificates and medals from the Indian Association of Physics Teachers, announcement of best performers in the OCSC and also the final team that will represent India in IOAA-2025. The medals were distributed by Professor Kulinder Pal SIngh from IISER Mohali and certificates were given by Professor Dipankar Bhattacharya. The selected team is: Aarush Mishra, Sumant Gupta, Banibrata Majee, Panini, and, Akshat Srivastava. Aarush Misra also got the C L Bhat memorial award for best performance in OCSC. This awarded is given by the Indian Physics Association and was instituted by Arnold Wolfendale. Sumant Gupta got the best performance in observational test award. Akshat Srivastava bagged the two awards for best performance in theory, and, data analysis. The team leaders and scientific observers who will accompany the team were also introduced to students :Professor Jasjeet Singh Bagla and Dr Harvinder Kaur Jassal are the team leaders given their long association with the astronomy olympiad activity. Drs. Kinjalk Lochan, Pankaj Kushwaha, Jaswant Yadav, Central University Haryana; and Mamta Gulati Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala are the scientific observers who will accompany the team for IOAA-2025.
