UP Police Constables’ Recruitment Exam: 21 per cent candidates skip test on Day 1 after downloading admit cards

Nearly 21 per cent candidates skipped the UP police constable’s recruitment exam on the first day on Friday even after downloading admit cards even as 61 impersonators and candidates were found using unfair means across the state, said UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) officials. Out of these 61, five have been arrested so far. Legal proceedings are awaited against 56 others.

The examination was across 1174 examination centres in 67 of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts under tight security that involved biometric verification, including fingerprint and facial recognition, six months after the exam was held and then cancelled following a question paper leak in February.

The examination will also be held in two shifts on August 24, 25, 30 and 31.

As many as 48,17,441 (48,17 lakh or over 4.8 million) candidates had applied to appear in the written examination for 60,244 posts of UP Police constables.

A senior UPRPB official confirmed 79.11 per cent of candidates appeared in the two shifts of the examination on the first day on Friday. He said 4,09,720 candidates of the first shift downloaded their admits cards but only 3,21,265 turned up at the examination centres. Similarly, 4,09,880 candidates of the second shift downloaded their admits cards but only 3,27,167 showed up at the examination centers in the second shift, he added.

“Around 78.41 per cent of candidates appeared in the first shift of examination between 10 am and 12 noon and nearly 79.82 per cent of candidates appeared in the second shift of exam held between 3 and 5 pm. Total 79.11 per cent of candidates appeared in both shifts on Friday,” he said.

“So as many as 20.89 per cent of candidates skipped the exam on both shifts of the first day,” he said.

He said at least 32 impersonators and candidates using unfair means were found in the first shift across the state and 29 others in the second shift. He said legal proceedings against them are under process.

The board had already issued instructions to around 20,000 suspicious candidates, whose Aadhaar authentication could not processed online, to bring along their proper identity proofs to get it verified at the examination centres. They were asked to carry documents, including PAN card, driving licence, passport or original copy of their Aadhaar card for the verification.

“We have inspected security arrangements at examination centers. The exams are going on properly and in a smooth manner. CCTVs are working properly as per the expectations of recruitment board, administration and police,” UP director general of police (DGP) Prashant Kumar said.

The DGP himself came out on the field for surprise inspection of examination centres during police recruitment exam on Friday. He visited the Government Girls’ Inter College in Gomti Nagar and Government Polytechnic on Ayodhya Road.

Comprehensive measures were put in place for thorough checking, frisking, and supervision of candidates at each examination centre.

The candidates had to undergo physical frisking, security checks using hand-held metal detectors (HHMD).

The security was stringent this time as the same exam held on February 17 and 18 but cancelled on February 24 after a question paper leak. As many 178 FIRs in 41 districts across the state were registered in connection with the paper leak and over 400 people, including two alleged masterminds, were arrested from Gautambuddhnagar.

In Prayagraj, the examination was held at 63 centres amid tight security and monitoring by senior administrative and police officials.

The examination was conducted in two shifts in which 22,872 aspirants were registered for a single shift. In both shifts, 45,744 aspirants were to appear.

District nodal officer SP Ashutosh Dwivedi said against the registered 22,872 aspirants for single shift, around 80% of them appeared for the examination at the centres in the district.

In Varanasi, around 67,000 candidates wrote examination for constables at 80 examination centres. The examination centres were equipped with 1800 CCTV cameras which were connected to the laptops of the officers of the commissionerate of police, Varanasi. Drone cameras were also used for surveillance at the examination centre.

Additional commissioner of police (Law and Order) S. Chanappa said the candidates were allowed to enter the examination centre only after biometric verification. District magistrate S Rajalingam also inspected the examination centres.