UP govt agrees to candidates’ demand, says PCS exam to be held in a single day

UPPSC aspirants have been protesting the state public service commission’s decision to split the exam into two days this year. The exams were scheduled to be held on December 7 and 8 in two shifts. The commission said its decision came after it held talks with the protesters. The protesters, however, said they would not call off their agitation until all their demands are met.

Asked about the protesters’ similar demand regarding the RO and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) exams, the commission said it has informed the aspirants that a committee would be formed to look into and decide on the matter. The committee would submit its decision “very soon,” said a government spokesperson.

“Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the demand of students in Prayagraj and asked the Commission to take necessary decisions by communicating and coordinating with the students regarding the PCS Preliminary Examination 2024 in one day. A committee has been formed by the Commission for RO/ARO (Pre.) Examination-2023. The committee will consider all aspects and submit its detailed report soon,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement.

According to a government spokesperson, recruitment exams for Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO), which was to be held on December 23 and 24 in three shifts, have also been postponed. The committee will decide on when to conduct these exams soon, the spokesperson said.

However, one of the protesters, Deepak Gupta claimed, “We will not call off our protest until a decision on RO/ARO exams is also taken and conveyed to us in writing. The Commission did not hold any talks with any of us and took the decision on its own. It has accepted the demand for PCS preliminary exam, but not for RO/ARO. It claims a committee is being formed which will take the decision. We do not rely on commission and want the decision to be taken now.”

Another protester, Manish Mishra, alleged that some of the aspirants, who were asleep on the roadside, were “assaulted by a group of people in plain clothes.” He also claimed, “The crutches of a physically challenged woman protester were taken away.”

The Secretary of the Commission said that given the incidents of paper leaks in many parts of the country in recent months, the state government has decided to “ensure the integrity and transparency of the selection examinations.” For this reason, the Commission announced to conduct the proposed PCS and RO/ARO examinations in multiple shifts in December.