Even as UP Public Service Commission is struggling to conduct Provincial Civil Service (Main) exams of 2017, it’s set to announce the schedule for holding UP PCS (Prelim) exams for 2018.
On June 19, the Hindi paper of PCS (Main), 2017 was cancelled as wrong question paper was distributed among examinees in Allahabad. Fresh dates were yet to be announced for the re-examination.
Candidates and coaching institutions in Allahabad have demanded that the Commission should first set its house in order then proceed with conducting the PCS, 2018 exams.
Official sources said that three incidents of questions paper leak of PCS (Main) exam, 2017 indicate towards a deeper conspiracy to not only derail the exam process but also influence the ongoing CBI probe into the recruitment scam during the previous SP regime.
In the first incident, question papers were less than required which led to strong protest by the candidates in Allahabad. In second incident, wrong Hindi paper was distributed in Allahabad leading to cancellation of General Hindi and Hindi essay paper. In the third incident, a rumour spread that Social Work paper was available on social media site Whatsapp.
Official sources maintained that the three incidents could not be coincidental and there was some conspiracy and involvement of officers and employees of UP Public Service Commission could not be ruled out.
The PCS (Main) exam, 2017 is being held at 11 centres in lucknow and 17 in Allahabad and would be held till July 6.
On June 19, the Hindi exam was cancelled as wrong question paper was distributed. It was later cancelled as the second section of the paper was distributed in the first half at Government Inter College, Allahabad.
“The date of conducting cancelled exams would be announced later. Rest of the exams would take place as per pre-announced schedule,” UPPSC secretary Jagdish said.
With less than two months left for the 2018 exam, it is expected that a notification would be issued by UPPSC probably by June end. It would also be published by regional and national dailies.