After four days of relentless protests by nearly 20,000 students, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has reversed its decision to conduct preliminary exams over two shifts agreeing to hold the PCS (Provincial Civil Services) preliminary exam in a single day as per the old pattern.
The Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) exam, scheduled for December 22 and 23, has been postponed. A special committee will evaluate the best approach for conducting the RO-ARO exam fairly and transparently.
In a bid to address student concerns, UPPSC Secretary Ashok Kumar addressed the crowd on Thursday. “The preliminary examination will be conducted in one shift. For the RO/ARO (Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer) Examination-2023, a committee will review all aspects and submit a detailed report. The final decision on the RO/ARO exam will be taken based on this report,” he announced, signifying that the proposed changes had been officially withdrawn.
Consequently, the PCS prelims will occur on a single day, while the RO/ARO exam, initially scheduled for December 22 and 23, has been postponed. According to Prayagraj District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar, the revised exam date will be announced soon. “The date for the PCS exam will be released by the UPPSC shortly,” he confirmed.
The announcement came after discussions at UPPSC, driven by widespread concerns over the normalisation process, which students feared could introduce scoring inconsistencies. Protestors camped outside the UPPSC office in Prayagraj for four days, demanding changes.
In response, a government spokesperson explained that the state’s initial decision to hold exams in multiple shifts stemmed from recent cases of paper leaks in various regions, some involving organised networks.
“To ensure purity and transparency in selection exams, the state government had initiated steps to conduct exams in multiple shifts,” the spokesperson said, emphasising that the two-shift format aimed to minimise security risks and accommodate over 500,000 candidates in government centres alone.
The PCS-Pre exam, scheduled for December 7-8 in 41 districts, was originally split over two days with a normalisation process to adjust for varying exam conditions. UPPSC now confirms that the exam will be held in a single shift, with further details to follow soon.
Earlier in the day, tensions escalated as plainclothes police attempted to disperse the crowd forcibly. When the police moved in, the students lay down in solidarity, blocking the removal efforts. Protesters accused the police of misbehaviour, including using abusive language and manhandling female students, fueling further anger. Within an hour, over 10,000 additional students had gathered, pushing through barricades and advancing to the commission’s gate.
The issue had drawn national attention, with Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi condemning the UP Government’s handling of the protests. In a post on X, he stated, “The treatment of competitive students in Prayagraj by the UP government and UPPSC is both insensitive and unfortunate. The non-transparent normalisation process is unacceptable, and the demand for a single-shift exam is completely justified. Why should students bear the cost of an incompetent government that is dismantling the education system? These hardworking students, away from their families, are now forced to ‘fight’ on the streets, facing harassment by the police. We support the students’ demands unequivocally. Their democratic rights cannot be stifled by authoritarian actions.”
