A Uttar Pradesh Police recruitment exam question has sparked controversy after listing ‘Pandit’ as an answer option for a term describing ‘a person who changes according to opportunity.’
The question, which appeared in the March 14 sub-inspector recruitment test conducted by UPPRPB, drew sharp criticism from political leaders and Brahmin community representatives who called it offensive. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak termed it ‘absolutely unacceptable’ and ordered an investigation into those responsible for the question paper.
The candidates were asked to choose the right one-word term for someone who changes their behaviour based on the situation. As per a report by The Indian Express, the options included Sadachari, Pandit, Avsarvadi, and Nishkapat.
Avsarvadi, which means ‘opportunist,’ was the correct answer. However, the fact that “Pandit” was one of the options drew objections quickly caught the attention of political leaders and officials.
All about the controversial question
The question appeared in the General Hindi section of the March 14 sub-inspector recruitment test. The first shift candidates got a 26-page question paper that was divided into four parts: language, law and the constitution, number and reasoning.
What has the government said about this?
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said in response to the controversy that the government had taken the matter very seriously and ordered an investigation. Pathak wrote on X that the choices given in the question had caused a lot of problems.
The government is paying close attention to the issue, Pathak said. “If any question hurts the dignity of any society or community, it’s absolutely unacceptable,” he added. He also stated that strict action would be taken against those responsible after the investigation.
Why did the question trigger political reactions?
The BJP state secretary, Abhijat Mishra wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking him to take action against the people who made the question paper. Connecting it to opportunism hurts the feelings of a certain group, Mishra told PTI, so including “Pandit” as an option was not right.
“Pandit” is a word that means having knowledge and showing respect for religion. Mishra said, “Connecting it to opportunism hurts the feelings of a certain group,” as quoted by PTI.
The recruitment board later ordered an investigation to identify those responsible.
Opposition leaders have also spoken on the issue. Anshu Awasthi, a Congress spokesperson, slammed the state government and questioned its intent. In video remarks reposted on X by Awasthi, he said, “What do you hate the Brahmin community so much?” He also alleged that the state government was targeting Brahmins and engaging in politics of hatred against the community.
The recruitment board said confidential third-party organisations prepare the question papers, which are opened only in exam halls.
The authorities have said that the right steps will be taken once the investigation is over.