Explained: Why UP govt job aspirants are protesting for 'single-day-single-shift' exam

Students in Prayagraj are protesting for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday (November 14) against the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) decision to conduct the RO-ARO and PCS preliminary examinations over two days.

The UPPSC has scheduled the Provincial Civil Service Preliminary Examination for December 7 and 8. The Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer Preliminary Examinations are set for December 22 and 23.

Demanding a rollback to the earlier practice of holding the tests on a single day, the students said they would not buckle down until their demand is met. Though the number of protesters was dwindling over the last three to four days, the students were firm on their stance. “We will continue the agitation till our demand is met,” said Pratyush Singh, one of the protesting students outside the UPPSC office.

Also read: 'Jobs will come when BJP goes,' says Akhilesh amid UPPSC exam date protests

UPPSC takes call on PCS prelims; postpones RO, ARO exams

Buckling under pressure, while the UPPSC on Thursday (November 14) announced to hold the PCS preliminary examination in the old pattern, it decided to postpone the RO and ARO examination.

The decision evoked mixed responses from aspirants, many of whom called it a ‘divide and rule’ policy by the commission. Aspirants have said that they will continue the agitation till a decision is taken on the RO and ARO exams.

Why are UPPSC aspirants staging protest in Prayagraj?

Protesters are calling for the UPPSC to revert to the earlier practice of holding the test on the same day for its entrance tests, contending that a single-day format would ensure equal opportunity for all candidates and reduce the risk of discrepancies in scoring.

Many students remember when the exams were previously held on a single day, a practice that, they feel, provided consistency and fairness in evaluation. The protesters claim that reverting to a multi-day format may introduce inequalities, especially in competitive exams where even minor differences in test conditions can affect scores.

The protesters are demanding a “single-day, single-shift schedule”, saying that when the same exam is held on different days, the question papers may vary, with one set being more difficult than another. They argued that it could lead to corruption. They further alleged that the normalisation process is a “strategy to exclude” deserving candidates.

The protesters are also against the percentile method because, according to the computerised formula developed by the commission, each candidate’s percentile score would be based on the relative performance of candidates within each shift. They also want examination centres in all districts of UP, instead of the currently announced 41.

When did the protest trigger against the UPPSC?

The protest erupted after the commission on November 5 announced to hold the said examinations on different days in different shifts. As per the notice, the Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer (RO-ARO) preliminary examination will be held in three shifts on December 22 and 23, and the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) preliminary examination will be conducted in two shifts on December 7 and 8.

The exam schedule has enraged students and drew strong flak from the aspirants, who are now staging sit-ins and candle marches to protest against the commission.

“The UPPSC decided to hold exams on different dates and in multiple shifts on the pretext of normalisation. This so-called normalisation will only lead to corruption, as each day’s exam will have different question sets. Our protest will continue until this decision is revoked,” said Deepak Gupta, one of the protesters.

Also read: Congress slams BJP govt in UP over 'police action' against protesting students

Previously, the examination was held on a single day, and private schools were also designated as examination centres.

The UPPSC also said candidates would be evaluated using a computerised formula for normalisation, based on the relative performance in each shift.

How have the authorities responded to the demands raised by the protesting students?

UPPSC officials responded to the protests by explaining the rationale behind the two-day exam format while stating that maintaining exam integrity and ensuring candidate convenience are its top priorities.

Speaking to PTI, UPPSC Secretary Ashok Kumar said, “As per the commission's guidelines, only government institutions within a 10-km radius of the district headquarters are used as examination centres. Previously, the same students were against using private institutions as exam centres due to concerns over security and paper leaks.” Now, when the government has implemented guidelines based on their earlier demand, they are protesting against it, he added.

Underlining the logistical challenges, Kumar said, “A total of 5,76,000 candidates have registered for the PCS exam, while centres are available for only 435,000 students across all the 75 districts. Under these circumstances, holding the exams over two days is unavoidable.”

A UPPSC spokesperson also stated that to uphold the sanctity of its examinations and safeguard students’ future, exams are conducted exclusively at centres where the possibility of irregularities is entirely eliminated.

The spokesperson noted that in the past, various irregularities have surfaced at the remote examination centres, creating uncertainty for the deserving students. To prevent this and ensure a merit-based examination process, such centres have now been removed, he added.

The UPPSC said the changes were made to ensure a fair examination process. In March this year, the state government cancelled the RO and ARO preliminary examination held in February due to allegations of a paper leak.

What has been the political reaction to these student protests in UP?

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has expressed support for aspirants demanding examinations on the same date, saying his party stood shoulder to shoulder with their “legitimate demand”.

In a statement issued by the party, Yadav said that the BJP did not recruit candidates but indulged in “chhalav (cheating)”. “When one (act of) cheating is caught, the BJP introduces another (form of) cheating.”

Also read: UP: Students of madrasas face uncertain future after SC order

Yadav claimed the aspirants had understood the BJP's “conspiracy” to conduct the examinations in two shifts. He also alleged that this was a trick by the BJP to ensure that youngsters did not get government jobs and remained unemployed, which would eventually force them to work as cheap labourers.

“This will keep filling the coffers of the BJP's profiteers, and they will keep donating to the BJP, which will keep misusing it to win elections,” the Kannauj MP said. He claimed that the unemployed youth had understood this vicious electoral cycle and the BJP’s intention.

The Congress too slammed the UP government for the alleged police action against the protesting students on November 12, with party general secretary Jairam Ramesh stating that earlier also attempts have been made to suppress the voices of youth demanding jobs in the BJP-ruled states.