RO/ARO Exam: Protest Continues In Prayagraj Over Cancellation, 25 Candidates Detained

Lucknow: Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO) paper leak protest took an ugly turn in Prayagraj when the police chased, kicked and lathi-charged aspirants when a group of candidates tried to protest outside Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office on Monday afternoon. 

Around 11 am, the protesting students, the majority of whom are preparing for competitive examinations, started assembling outside the UPPSC for a mahapanchayat. Suspecting a ruckus, all gates of the commission were closed, and police barricaded all routes towards the premises. The protesters and the police were involved in a heated exchange of words followed by a clash between them, following which the cops detained around 28 students and were taken to the Naini police station. They were not released till late at night. 

After not getting permission to protest outside the UPPSC office, the students then marched towards the Dharna Sthal at All Saints Cathedral in large numbers, where they raised slogans against UPPSC officials while demanding a re-examination of RO/ ARO recruitment.

The protesters, holding placards in their hands, alleged that police mercilessly beat them. The aspirants demanded the re-conducting of the review officer/assistant review officer (RO/ARO) recruitment preliminary exam held on February 11.

The examination, conducted on February 11 at 2,387 centres across 58 districts in Uttar Pradesh, had seen participation from 64% of the total 10,76,004 registered candidates. A total of 411 vacancies were to be filled by the examination. During the first shift of the exam, candidates created a ruckus at an examination centre in Ghazipur, alleging that the paper was out. The candidates alleged that the paper's seal was broken before the exam in the morning shift.

The agitating students claim that question papers for RO/ARO and police recruitment examinations were leaked soon before the examination started and went viral on social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. The aspirants said the RO/ARO preliminary examination should also be cancelled, like the police recruitment examination. 

"The answer key of questions in both shifts went viral around an hour before the examination started. We have evidence. We only demand that the RO/ARO exam be cancelled like the government ordered to cancel the UP Police exam and that it be conducted again. For this, we have been protesting in the entire state for many days, but the government is not paying heed towards our demands," Rajeev, a candidate, told NewsClick. 

A group of female students NewsClick spoke to said they have been fighting against all odds to get a job. 

"Every year, I tell my parents to give me one more year as they keep pressuring me to get married. What answer should I give them now? It was not just an exam for us but the penance of the students who have been preparing for 5-6 years. We want fair competition," Khusboo, another candidate, told NewsClick. 

Khushboo is not the lone aspirant whose parents are pressuring for marriage. Neha and Jyoti have similar concerns. 

"How much more time will our family give us when the paper is about to leak every time? We have been preparing for the UPPSC examination but have been left empty-handed despite investing money and effort. Our parents are asking us to come back home and get married. The government crushed our dreams," emotional candidates told NewsClick. 

Meanwhile, the UPPSC has asked aspirants to send evidence of the paper leak through an e-mail to roaro2023info@gmail.com till March 2. The government has also initiated an enquiry into the allegations of a paper leak and has asked students to send evidence to secyappoint@nic by February 27. 

The UPPSC also initiated an internal inquiry into the allegations of a paper leak. However, protesting students are not satisfied with the commission assurance. 

"After giving all the evidence of the paper leak to the authority, why has the order for cancellation not been issued yet? We will not go home until the government gives us assurance as they did for UP police recruitment," Siddharth, a candidate who came to Prayagraj from Kanpur to join the protest, told NewsClick. 

Notably, on Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the UP Police Constable Recruitment Examination-2023 will be cancelled after paper leak reports surfaced. The government has given instructions to conduct a re-examination within six months. The Yogi government's decision has come after thousands of candidates who appeared for the exam held massive protests in Lucknow and demanded a re-examination.

"Orders have been given to cancel the examination-2023 conducted for selection to the posts of Civil Police Reserve and to conduct re-examination within the next six months," the CM said on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

He said, "There can be no compromise on the integrity of examinations."

The CM ordered strict action against those involved in the paper leak. 

"Those who exploit the hard work of the youth will not be spared under any circumstances. Such unruly elements will undoubtedly face severe consequences."

Soon after the order, the Uttar Pradesh police swung into action and arrested or detained more than 240 individuals suspected of employing or plotting to employ unfair methods during the police constable recruitment exam. The state police headquarters confirmed the actions that took place between February 15 and February 18. These arrests and detentions were carried out by both district police and Special Task Force (STF) units, with assistance from local intelligence.