UP Rolls Back Decision On Prayagraj Job Exam After Massive Protests By Students
Amid a growing political row over the students’ protest in Prayagraj, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission today decided to hold a key recruitment exam in a single shift. While the prelims for the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) exam will be held in one day, the commission has decided to set up a committee to look into how the exam to recruit review officers (RO) and assistant review officers (ARO) can be conducted.
The move has, however, failed to pacify the protesting students. The protesters have accused the state service commission of trying to break up the agitation. They have said they will continue to protest till the government decides to hold the exam for RO/ARO posts in a single shift.
The students have been protesting against the commission’s earlier announcement that the two job exams would be held in two shifts over two days. They have demanded “one day, one shift” exams as they fear multiple dates and shifts will raise the risk of paper leaks.
The commission had earlier said the decision to hold exams in shifts was taken for the benefit of the applicants and to uphold the exam’s sanctity. A spokesperson had said they would hold exams only at centres where possibility of irregularities is eliminated. The spokesperson had said that only government or funded educational institutions within a 10-km radius of a bus stand, railway station or treasury, and with no history of suspicion or blacklisting are being designated as examination centres. It is for this reason that the commission had to opt for exams in shifts, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson had also said that a normalisation process will be used to evaluate the results because the exams are being held across multiple days or shifts. This, the panel said, was commonly used across the country and is supported by several court rulings.
But the students were not convinced and stepped up their agitation, leading to chaotic scenes outside the state commission’s office in Prayagraj. Top officials of the commission met today to find a way out and came up with the latest announcement.