The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has agreed to conduct the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) preliminary exam in a single day. The decision was announced on Thursday following intense protests by aspirants in Prayagraj, who had been demanding a one-day, single-shift exam schedule.
Previously, the PCS preliminary exam was planned to take place over two shifts on December 7 and 8. Moreover, the Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer (RO-ARO) preliminary examination, initially set to be conducted in three shifts on December 22 and 23, has now been postponed. A revised date for the RO-ARO exam will be determined once UPPSC completes an internal review and submits a report.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath responded promptly to the protests in Prayagraj, instructing UPPSC to engage with the students and find a solution. The aspirants had been vocal about their frustrations, arguing that holding exams over multiple days created unnecessary confusion and hardship. Opposition parties seized the opportunity to criticize the BJP over the initial exam schedule.
UPPSC Commission Secretary Ashok Kumar made the announcement in Prayagraj, directly addressing the students who had been protesting for four days. “Several paper leak issues in competitive exams have come to light from different parts of the country in the past few months, in which some institutions were found to be involved,” Kumar explained. “To ensure the sanctity and transparency of competitive exams, the state government had initially planned to hold exams with over five lakh aspirants in multiple shifts,” he added.
Kumar further said, “The demand raised by some students was taken into cognizance by the Chief Minister. He directed the commission to maintain dialogue with the students and make a decision. As a result, the commission will now hold the exam in a single shift.”
Mixed reactions from students
While many PCS aspirants welcomed the announcement, celebrating by distributing sweets among themselves, others were less satisfied. Those preparing for the RO and ARO exams expressed disappointment and vowed to continue their protests. Aspirant Rahul Pandey stated, “We do not trust this announcement as no official notice has been uploaded on the Commission’s website in this regard.” Another protester criticized the government’s approach, accusing it of adopting a “divide and rule” policy.
The unrest in Prayagraj has been marked by significant actions from the student community. On Wednesday, aspirants held a candlelight march outside the UPPSC office, chanting slogans to push for their demands. The protests also saw incidents of vandalism, prompting the Uttar Pradesh Police to file an FIR against 12 individuals connected to the disturbances.
(With inputs from agencies)