Why Are Thousands Of Aspirants Protesting Against UPPSC Over Exam Schedule?

Picture source: ANI

UP Exam Date Row: Aspirants continued their protest on Tuesday outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service commission (UPPSC) office, demanding that the PCS aand RO/ARO exams be held in a single day and one shift. Tensions escalated among the students after UPPSC announced a new schedule for the preliminary exams. For PCS December 7 and 8 in two shifts, while the RO and ARO Preliminary Exam 2023 is scheduled for three shifts on December 22 and 23. 

What Are Agitating Students’ Demands 

Students protesting against the upcoming exams are demanding that tests be conducted in a single shift, as previously done. 

Ankit Patel, an aspirant leading the protest told PTI that students want a return to the single-shift format. Another protester, Manorama Singh, argued that the commission’s decision to hold exams over two days violates established rules. "The notification didn’t specify that exams would span two days. Students want them completed in a single day," Singh 

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Aspirants in Prayagraj continue their protest outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office. They are demanding that the PCS and RO/ARO exams be conducted in one day and one shift. pic.twitter.com/dL243KGJon — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 12, 2024

What The UPPSC Replied 

The exam body issued a statement on Monday saying that ensuring candidates convenience and maintaining the sanctity of exams are its top priorities. A Commission spokesperson said that to protect the integrity of its exams and secure students' futures, exams are held only at centers where there is no chance of any misconduct or irregularities. 

To ensure fair and quality exams, tests must be held in multiple shifts when there are more than 500,000 candidates, the spokesperson said. He added that for exams spread across multiple days, a normalization process is crucial to assess results accurately.  

The spokesperson also cited the Supreme Court's Radhakrishnan Committee, which recommended two shifts for the NEET exam, as well as the Police Recruitment Exam, which was similarly held in two shifts.

The UPPSC spokesperson further mentioned that Commission has received complaints from candidates about Telegram channels and YouTubers spreading false information about the exam schedule.

(With PTI inputs)