4.5 lakh candidates sit for UP police constable exam under tight security

About 4.50 lakh candidates across the state appeared for the Uttar Pradesh Police constable recruitment exam for over 60,000 vacant posts on Friday, 23 August amid tight security arrangements, marking the first day of a five-day exercise, officials said.

The exam was held at 1,174 centres across 67 districts of the state, and the fresh recruitment exercise is being carried out after the exams held on 17 and 18 February were cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.

"The biggest police recruitment exam in the history of Uttar Pradesh started on Friday. On the first day, the exam was conducted successfully at 1,174 examination centres in 67 districts of the state. About 4.50 lakh candidates appeared in the exam held in two shifts. All the candidates appeared in the exam after tight security and several rounds of checking," the UP Police said in a statement.

During the exam, STF, UP Police, and PAC personnel were seen at every nook and corner. Apart from this, CCTV and drone cameras were also monitored every moment. DGP Prashant Kumar also descended on the ground as he carried out inspections and on-ground security reviews.

The state police chief said that this examination will be conducted in two shifts over five days in 67 districts of the state.

"Police officers are deployed everywhere. This time such arrangements have been made that no one faces any inconvenience. Wherever there are reports of irregularities, FIRs have been filed. Strict action will be taken against them. So far, there is no information of a question paper leak from anywhere; strict action will be taken against those who are spreading misleading news," he said.

However, during the exam in Raebareli district, an electronic device was found with a candidate who was later questioned by the police. A case was lodged following a complaint from the exam centre officials at Acharya Dwivedi Inter College in the city.

Dr Raj Kishore Srivastava, the administrator of the exam centre, said that Upendra Singh, a resident of Purva Tal under Bela police station area of Auraiya district, was found giving the examination in the first shift with an electronic device, a bluetooth.

"After the electronic device was found with the candidate, there was chaos, and the police were informed. Senior officials reached the examination centre and questioned the candidate," City Kotwali in-charge Rajesh Singh said, adding that a case has been registered.

Police said the exam proceeded smoothly with heightened security and comprehensive arrangements, including in the state capital Lucknow where a total of 56,674 candidates appeared at 81 centres across two shifts.

To ensure a fair exam, sector and zonal magistrates were appointed at all centres, and mobile jammers were installed to prevent cheating. DGP Prashant Kumar conducted surprise inspections at the Government Girls Inter College in Gomti Nagar and the Government Polytechnic in Lucknow, providing guidelines to ensure transparency and integrity in the examination process.

Lucknow District Magistrate Surypal Gangwar also inspected various centres, including Ramadheen Singh Inter College and National PG College, overseeing the arrangements and instructing all centre administrators to conduct the exams impartially and peacefully.

For enhanced security, 1,000 personnel were deployed, including 8 ACPs, 62 inspectors, 184 sub-inspectors, 173 head constables, 519 constables, 81 sector magistrates, and 162 armed forces in the capital, police added.

In Prayagraj, 45,744 candidates took the exam at 63 centres, monitored by 950 CCTV cameras and 600 police personnel. Special transportation was provided, including 624 roadways buses and additional trains, benefiting over 57,000 candidates.

Nodal officer for the exam here, DCP Ashutosh Dwivedi said that all security measures were effectively implemented with no reported incidents.

In Agra, 24,000 candidates appeared at 27 centres under tight security, with 540 police officers deployed. The centres were equipped with CCTV, and additional buses were operated to aid transportation.

Gorakhpur's 55 centres saw 24,500 candidates, with robust security and free travel on city buses and special trains. Authorities reported no issues during the examination.

Jhansi's 27 centres accommodated 11,424 candidates with strict monitoring by 1,400 examiners and 27 police officers assigned as centre heads.

Continuous inspection was conducted by local officials.

Ayodhya hosted 3,367 candidates across 12 centres with stringent security and centralised monitoring. Centres were located within a 10-kilometre radius for enhanced safety, the police said.

Varanasi's 80 centres saw 42,307 candidates, with extensive security measures, including PAC and ITBP deployments. Special arrangements were made for early arrivals.

In Bareilly, all 29 centres were on high alert with extensive security protocols, including drone surveillance and CCTV monitoring.

Candidate Rizwan Ali in Raebareli said that the paper was manageable despite some difficulties with reasoning and praised the robust security arrangements at the exam centre, including the presence of numerous police officers and lockers for belongings.

Candidate Deepak Gupta in Varanasi appreciated the strict measures to prevent cheating, while Rakesh from Firozabad found the paper easy and commended the thorough security checks and good overall organisation, according to the statement.

According to the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board, the exam is to be held in two shifts on five days -- August 23, 24, 25, 30, and 31. The first shift will be from 10 am to 12 pm, while the second one will start at 3 pm and end at 5 pm.

Around 9.50 lakh candidates were expected to appear in the exam on each of the five days, government officials said in the morning.

The government has implemented strict security measures at every centre to prevent the use of unfair means, the officials said.

Officials at the UP Police headquarters here said to facilitate aspirants taking the exam, the state government has arranged for free bus travel in UPSRTC buses and also arranged for special trains for them in coordination with the Railways. Exam Special Train No. 04269 Lucknow to Moradabad (Via Bareilly), Train No. 04270 Lucknow to Varanasi Cantt (Via Ayodhya Cantt) and Train No. 04271 Lucknow to Varanasi Cantt (Via Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh) were being run especially for the facilitation of the candidates, they said.