UPPSC RO-ARO prelims exams will be held on December 22 and 23 and the provincial civil service preliminary exam on December 7 and 8 .
The ongoing protest by UPPSC aspirants has entered its third day, with students across Uttar Pradesh demanding a change in the exam schedule. The central issue revolves around the clashing dates of multiple important exams, including the UPPSC Combined State/Upper Subordinate Exam and the UPSSSC PET (Preliminary Eligibility Test), which are scheduled to take place on the same day. The protesters are pushing for the ‘One Day, One Exam’ policy to ensure that candidates can appear for both exams without facing a conflict.
Press Trust of India | November 14, 2024 | 08:37 AM IST
PRAYAGRAJ: “One day, one exam” echoed through the streets as students rallied for the third straight day on Wednesday, protesting the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission’s decision to hold the RO-ARO and PCS preliminary examinations over two days. In the evening, they organized a candlelight march to voice their demands.
UPPSC has slated the Provincial Civil Service Preliminary Examination
The UPPSC has slated the Provincial Civil Service Preliminary Examination for December 7 and 8, while the Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer Preliminary Examinations are set for December 22 and 23. Students are insisting on a return to the previous system of conducting the tests in a single day, vowing to persist in their protests until their request is fulfilled.
Despite a decrease in the number of demonstrators compared to earlier days, the students remained resolute. “We will continue the agitation for one day, one exam,” declared Pratyush Singh, a participant in the protest outside the UPPSC office. One placard proclaimed, “We will not divide, we will not retreat, we will remain united until we get justice,” while another stated, “One day, One examination.”
Gyanendra Kumar, another student, emphasized, “We will keep protesting until our demands are addressed, whether it takes a week or longer. Our candle march is a response to the commission’s stubbornness.”
UPPSC Secretary Ashok Kumar informed PTI on Tuesday that the commission’s policy is to use only government educational institutions as examination centers, ensuring each is within a 10-km radius of district headquarters. He noted that after a previous paper leak, these same students had requested that private institutions not be utilized as exam centers.
The government has now put in place guidelines that were previously requested, yet protests have erupted against these very measures. Kumar pointed out that among the 576,000 candidates who registered for the PCS examination, there are examination centers available for only 435,000 candidates across all 75 districts. “In light of this situation, it is essential to hold the examination over two days,” Kumar stated.
The protestors argue that the clashing exam dates place an undue burden on students who have been preparing for months or even years. Many students have expressed frustration, as this overlap means they will be forced to choose between critical exams, potentially jeopardizing their chances of securing a government job.
The ‘One Day, One Exam’ demand highlights the growing frustrations among government job aspirants in Uttar Pradesh. As protests intensify, students hope that the authorities will reconsider the exam dates and ensure fairness in the examination process. The outcome of this protest could set an important precedent for how future exams are scheduled in the state.
As the protest enters its third day, all eyes are on the Uttar Pradesh government to resolve the issue and address the concerns of aspirants in a way that supports their academic and professional future.
Impact on Students and Future Exams
This ongoing controversy underscores the challenges faced by students preparing for multiple competitive exams simultaneously. The demand for a ‘One Day, One Exam’ policy is not only about the current issue but also reflects broader concerns about the fairness and organization of public service exams in Uttar Pradesh. If the UPPSC exam date issue is not resolved in a timely manner, it could set a negative precedent for future recruitment exams, impacting the morale of students and their trust in the system.
