Thousands protest ‘irregularities’ in SSC exams at Ramlila Maidan, clashes, detentions follow

“They were clearly informed that Section 163 BNSS is in force and that any gathering beyond the stipulated time would be unlawful. Despite repeated warnings, nearly 100 protesters refused to leave,” Vasan added.

The DCP said, “In the process of dispersal, 40 individuals were detained, while the others left the spot. During the incident, five police personnel, including three women constables, sustained injuries due to aggressive behavior by some protesters. No lathi charge was done by police.” Vasan also stated that legal action has been taken against aggressive protesters and an FIR was registered on Sunday night. In view of the violation of the undertaking given by the organisers, Vasan underlined, the permission granted for the protest on August 25 has been withdrawn.

Ayush Pateriya (25), an SSC aspirant who resides in Delhi, was among those who were detained on Sunday night. Pateriya alleged “The police took us in a van to patel nagar police station at around 8.30 pm and I left the station at arpund1.30 am.”

“Earlier, the SSC officials promised that glitches would be taken care of but the stenographer examination which happened between august 6 to August 8 also witnessed several glitches. The same problems persisted, which is why the protests erupted again.”

Another aspirant, Aman Yadav (20), came all the way from Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah participate in the protest.

Recalling what happened on Sunday, Yadav said, “We were peacefully sitting in the Ramlila maidan. But first washrooms for all were removed and the lights near the pandal were switched off.”

Yadav further alleged the both female and male protesters were manhandled. Yadav is currently a final year graduate student studying in a college in Etawah and had spent months preparing for the SSC examination.

This is the second time in nearly a month that the Capital has seen such protests against the SSC recruitment exams. The latest demonstration was held over alleged irregularities in the SSC Selection Post Phase-13 examination, which were held from July 24 to August 1.

The SSC, a Central government body, conducts competitive exams to recruit staff for various Group B (non-gazetted) and Group C (non-technical) posts in ministries, departments, and other government offices. These exams offer a pathway to coveted government jobs, attracting millions of aspirants each year. The Commission functions under the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Speaking to The Indian Express, S Gopalkrishnan, Chairman, Staff Selection Commission of India, said, “The protests that erupted yesterday are for the same issues. The exams are not happening right now, and the ones scheduled between July 24 to August 1 have taken place, with some having been rescheduled. The Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam has been deferred to sort of correct it and hold that examination without glitches.”

Organised under the banner of the August Kranti of Aspirants with the presence of members from several other student parties, Sunday’s protest focused on what students claimed repeated mismanagement and lack of accountability in the conduct of examinations.

In a memorandum, the aspirants said: “Lakhs of aspirants dedicate years of their lives, with immense financial, mental, and emotional investment, to qualify for public service. Yet, they face repeated technical failures, mismanagement, opaque evaluation systems, wrong questions, delays in results and joining, and absence of accountability of exam-conducting agencies.”

Unless urgent reforms are made, they warned, “the credibility of these examinations and the future of India’s youth will remain at risk.”

The memorandum cited technical failures during registration, including server crashes and Aadhaar verification errors, as well as irregularities in admit cards. Students pointed to sudden changes of exam centres, cancellations on the day of the test, and outdated or malfunctioning systems at venues.

They also flagged errors in question papers, including out-of-syllabus questions, faulty translations, and pre-highlighted answers, which they said undermined the credibility of the process.

The aspirants called for a set of reforms aimed at restoring trust in recruitment exams. They demanded penalties for private vendors responsible for technical glitches, blacklisting of centres found guilty of mismanagement, and compensation for candidates who lose opportunities because of errors, through fee refunds or compensatory attempts.

They also pressed for the release of answer keys before results, the introduction of mandatory waiting lists to ensure no vacancy is wasted, and a fixed examination calendar to complete the recruitment cycle within six to eight months.

The most far-reaching of their proposals is the creation of a statutory Student Commission of India, envisioned as a body to handle grievances on the lines of existing commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes.

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