Aspirants continue stir in Prayagraj against UPPSC’s staggered exam plan

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh): Job aspirants continued their protest for the third day in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Thursday, even as law-enforcers kept a close watch to prevent the situation from turning violent outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office.

In the forenoon, the protesters broke barricades on a road leading toward the UPPSC office from a roundabout near Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Civil Lines, and rushed towards the Commission’s headquarters.

The agitating students are demanding that the upcoming Provincial Civil Services (PCS) and Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) exams, be conducted in a single shift, as was previously done.

They believe this will make the process fairer and more manageable.

Sushil Kumar, one of the protestors, told IANS, “Our colleagues have been arrested…they are not even being given water. We are not criminals, terrorists or supporters of Opposition parties.”

Demanding "one day, one shift exams", he said aspirants appearing in the first shift of the exam will be at a disadvantage due to the proposed normalisation formula of the UPPSC.

Ajay Gupta, another protesting student from Prayagraj, said, “We are opposing the sudden proposal to use the normalisation formula. It was suggested about two weeks ago and not mentioned in the initial advertisement for the exam.”

He justified the students’ action of breaking barricades and rushing closer to the office of the UPPSC chairperson and secretary.

“We want to take our voice to them, so that they act on our demands,” he said.

The Commission has decided to conduct PCS preliminary examinations on December 7 and 8 in two shifts. The RO and ARO preliminary examinations would be held on December 22 and 23 in three shifts.

UPPSC officials claimed that there has been no progress in their talks with protestors.

They said that the protestors have been asked to give suggestions to maintain transparency in the exam, while plugging gaps for leakage.

Amid allegations of political workers joining the protesting crowds, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said on Thursday that the state government backs the protesting UPPSC aspirants.

He said that the government has instructed officials to find a solution to the impasse.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over police action against protesting UPPSC aspirants and accused it of "playing with their future".

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against 12 individuals for alleged vandalism during a protest on Tuesday night.

"An FIR has been filed against 12 individuals. Some people have also been taken into custody," said Prayagraj Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abhishek Bharti.