Aspirants of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) protesting outside the UPPSC headquarters in Prayagraj organised a candle march on Wednesday, raising slogans against the commission.
The protest, now in its third day, focuses on the upcoming Provincial Civil Service Preliminary Examination, scheduled for December 7 and 8, and the Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer Preliminary Examinations, set for December 22 and 23. Both exams are planned to be held over two days, with two shifts each.
The protest has gained momentum as students demand the removal of the normalisation system, which is being introduced for the first time in these exams. Chanting slogans such as "One Day, One Shift" and "No Normalisation," the aspirants are urging the commission to conduct the exams on a single day and in one shift.
Despite ongoing appeals from authorities, the students have remained firm in their demands. They are calling for the withdrawal of the normalisation process and insist that the exams be rescheduled to take place in a single shift. The indefinite protest continues, with no concrete resolution from the commission so far.
However, on Tuesday, the commission assured candidates that it would maintain the integrity of the exams and uphold their sanctity, as several students had staged protests against alleged irregularities in the UPPSC exam. The commission also emphasised that, to protect the integrity of its exams and safeguard students' futures, it conducts exams exclusively at centres where the possibility of irregularities is completely eliminated.
A spokesperson from the commission acknowledged that, in the past, various irregularities had surfaced at remote exam centres, creating uncertainty for students. To address this, the commission has removed such centres to ensure a fair, merit-based examination process.
Maintaining that the primary goal of the government and the commission is to safeguard students' interests and ensure selection based on merit, the spokesperson mentioned that they had received a letter from candidates informing them that certain Telegram channels and YouTubers are conspiring to postpone the UPPSC exam. These channels are spreading confusion about the normalisation process and misleading candidates. However, many candidates, for whom both the exam and timing are crucial, have expressed support for the commission's decision.