450K Appear for UP Police Constable Exam with Unprecedented Security

On Friday, approximately 4.50 lakh candidates appeared for the Uttar Pradesh Police constable recruitment exam. This marked the first day of a five-day event, conducted amid stringent security measures. The examination took place at 1,174 centres across 67 districts in the state.

The recruitment drive resumed after the previous exams on February 17 and 18 were cancelled due to allegations of a paper leak. The current exercise is the largest police recruitment exam in Uttar Pradesh's history. On the first day, the exam was held in two shifts and saw successful completion under tight security.

Security Measures and Monitoring

To ensure fairness, sector and zonal magistrates were appointed at all centres. Mobile jammers were installed to prevent cheating. DGP Prashant Kumar conducted surprise inspections at various centres in Lucknow, including Government Girls Inter College and Government Polytechnic, to ensure transparency.

Lucknow District Magistrate Surypal Gangwar also inspected several centres, such as Ramadheen Singh Inter College and National PG College. He instructed administrators to conduct exams impartially and peacefully. In Lucknow alone, 1,000 personnel were deployed for security, including 8 ACPs, 62 inspectors, and 184 sub-inspectors.

Incidents and Responses

In Raebareli district, an electronic device was found with a candidate during the exam. The candidate was questioned by police, and a case was lodged following a complaint from Acharya Dwivedi Inter College officials. Dr Raj Kishore Srivastava reported that Upendra Singh was caught with a Bluetooth device during the first shift.

The discovery caused chaos at the centre, prompting senior officials to arrive and question the candidate. City Kotwali in-charge Rajesh Singh confirmed that a case had been registered against Upendra Singh.

District-wise Examination Details

In Prayagraj, 45,744 candidates took the exam at 63 centres monitored by 950 CCTV cameras and 600 police personnel. Special transportation included 624 roadways buses and additional trains for over 57,000 candidates. Nodal officer DCP Ashutosh Dwivedi confirmed effective security measures with no incidents reported.

Agra saw 24,000 candidates appear at 27 centres under tight security with 540 officers deployed. Centres were equipped with CCTV cameras, and additional buses facilitated transportation. In Gorakhpur, 55 centres hosted 24,500 candidates with robust security measures and free travel on city buses and special trains.

Candidate Experiences

Rizwan Ali from Raebareli mentioned that despite some difficulties with reasoning questions, the paper was manageable. He praised the robust security arrangements at his exam centre. Deepak Gupta from Varanasi appreciated the strict anti-cheating measures. Rakesh from Firozabad found the paper easy and commended thorough security checks.

The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board stated that exams would be held in two shifts over five days: August 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31. The first shift runs from 10 am to 12 pm, while the second shift is from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Government Support for Candidates

The government has implemented strict security measures at every centre to prevent unfair practices. Officials arranged free bus travel in UPSRTC buses and special trains in coordination with Railways to facilitate candidates' transportation needs.

Special trains include Exam Special Train No. 04269 from Lucknow to Moradabad via Bareilly; Train No. 04270 from Lucknow to Varanasi Cantt via Ayodhya Cantt; and Train No. 04271 from Lucknow to Varanasi Cantt via Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh.

The state police chief assured that strict actions would be taken against those spreading misleading news about question paper leaks or other irregularities during the exams.