UP student protests: Amidst the political row going on in Prayagraj over the students’ protest, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has today decided that an important recruitment exam will be conducted in a single shift. While the prelims of the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) exam will be held on a single day, the commission has decided to form a committee which will see how the exams for Review Officers (RO) and Assistant Review Officers (ARO) can be conducted.
But, this move has not been successful in bringing pacification to the protesting students. The protesters have accused the state service commission of trying to break their protest. They say that they will continue protesting till the government takes a decision to conduct the exam for RO/ARO posts in a single shift.
Students had protested against the earlier announcement of the commission, in which it was said that both the job exams will be conducted in two shifts, for two days. Their demand is “one day, one shift” exam because they fear that multiple dates and shifts may increase the risk of paper leaks.
UP student protests: Commission Justifies Decision to Conduct Exams in Shifts to Ensure Integrity and Accessibility
The commission had earlier said that the decision to hold exams in shifts was taken for the benefit of the applicants and to maintain the sanctity of the exam. A spokesperson had said that exams will be conducted only at those centres where there is no chance of irregularities.
They had also said that only those government or funded educational institutions which are within a 10 km radius of the bus stand, railway station or treasury, and which do not have a history of any kind of suspicion or blacklisting, will be made exam centres. This is why the commission had to take the decision of holding exams in shifts, the spokesperson had said.
The spokesperson also said that a normalisation process will be used to evaluate the results as the exams are being held on multiple days or in shifts. This process, the panel said, is common across the country and is supported by several court rulings.
But the students did not understand this and escalated their agitation, following which chaotic scenes were witnessed outside the state commission office in Prayagraj. The top officials of the commission today held a meeting to resolve the issue and reached a new announcement. This decision, it is heard, was taken after the intervention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
UP student protests: Students Reject Government’s Solution, Demand Single-Day, Single-Shift RO/ARO Exam
The students have rejected this solution. “The government is trying to show us the wrong path. We will not leave from here until the RO/ARO exam is also conducted in one day, in one shift. We had two demands, one has been fulfilled,” said a protester.
Some students also said that this is only a verbal announcement so far and they will not stop protesting until the official notification for both the exams comes.
“We want both the exams in the same shift. Why is a committee being formed? This is just a way to chase away the protesters. They want to weaken our agitation, but we will not leave from here,” said another protester.
One protester said, “One nation, one election is being talked about and these people cannot conduct exams of 10 lakh students in one day.” Another protester said that the new announcements that have come are part of a ‘divide and rule’. “They want to separate PCS and RO/ARO. No one will go from here,” he said.
When one protester was criticising the BJP government, another person said that he did not want to bring party politics into his movement.
UP student protests: Political Backdrop
The decision of the State Commission, which has come in the midst of a big protest, is being taken in a political backdrop. Bypolls are to be held on 20 November in 9 Assembly constituencies of the state and the Opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress are cornering the Yogi Adityanath government in the Prayagraj protests.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the “heartless” government should accept the correct demands of students, at least with political thinking.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said the attitude of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission is “unfortunate” and “intolerant”. “Why should students bear the brunt of the useless performance of the BJP government,” Mr Gandhi asked.
The Yogi Adityanath government will try to handle the agitation before it grows out of proportion. Earlier, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya had talked about an amicable solution. “All competent officials should listen to the demands of the students in a sensitive manner and find a solution quickly. Ensure that the precious time of the students is not wasted in the agitation but is spent in their preparation,” he said.
