Today is National Space Day. India is celebrating its first National Space Day because, on the same day last year, our country achieved what major nations like the USA and China couldn’t. On this day last year, India's Chandrayaan successfully landed on the Moon's south pole, marking a significant achievement.
In Uttar Pradesh, the UP Police recruitment exam once again sees fierce competition with 80 candidates vying for each position. Over five days, there are 10 shifts, and each shift sees an average of 480,000 candidates taking the exam. This might be one of the first exams where to prevent paper leaks or other malpractices, 20,500 suspicious candidates have been identified and are being closely monitored. The government is aware of the challenges posed by large crowds, so special trains are being run for candidates. For the five-day police recruitment exam, candidates can show their admit cards to travel free on roadways buses.
Only 1.25% Will Get the Job
All this for a job where only 1.25% of the 48 lakh aspirants will be employed. The youth face significant challenges to secure this one job. Out of 48 lakh candidates, only 60,244 positions are available, meaning an overwhelming 80 candidates are competing for each post. But even this 1.25% success rate only holds if everything goes smoothly.
Though there are reservations in recruitments, no such reservations apply when taking the exam. Everyone enters the examination hall equally, without any reserved compartments. These are the same youths whose dreams of becoming constables in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year were shattered by paper leak mafias. But they didn’t give up. Questions around unemployment rates and job availability are omnipresent. The crowds at railway stations during recruitment exams are indicative of the immense competition driven by the infrequent recruitments and the malpractices surrounding them.
Source: aajtak
Scenes from various locations show how the desire for a government job grows, from the ground at the railway station to the waiting hall. These youths, taking trains in general compartments to the exam centers, often spend the night at the station, reading books on spread sheets, hoping that this time there will be no paper leaks or cheating, and they will secure the job soon.
How Many Youth Participated in Police Recruitment?
The numbers give an idea of the massive participation in police recruitments in Uttar Pradesh. In June 2018, for 41,520 constable posts, 1.7 million candidates appeared, competing with 40 others for each post. In January 2019, 1.94 million candidates vied for 49,568 posts, averaging 39 candidates per post. In November 2021, for 9,534 sub-inspector posts, about 700,000 candidates participated, showing a competition of 73 candidates per post. Now, in August 2024, for 60,244 constable posts, 4.8 million applicants are competing, averaging 80 candidates per post.
This time, special trains for exam candidates are running, and they can travel for free on roadways buses by showing their admit cards. During the Lok Sabha elections in April-May, one allegation for reduced BJP seats in UP was the government's failure to prevent paper leaks. With ten by-elections pending, the government is determined to conduct leakproof exams. Not just Uttar Pradesh but the entire country is keeping an eye on this recruitment drive.
Youths from Other States Also Participating
Youths from 26 states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Punjab, and Maharashtra, are also participating in the UP Police recruitment. The state government and police are also undergoing a five-day exam alongside the 4.8 million candidates. Any incident of paper leaks, cheating, or mismanagement will provide ammunition to the opposition and frustration to the unemployed youth. To avoid this, the government and police have been diligent; so far, there have been no reports of paper leaks or cheating.
Participant Numbers Equivalent to Populations of Several Countries
To put the scale in perspective, the number of candidates for the UP Police exam equals the population of many countries. Kuwait has a population of 4.9 million, fewer than the 4.8 million candidates sitting for the exam in five days. Bhutan’s population is around 800,000, so six Bhutans would match the number of candidates. Bulgaria has a population of about 6.3 million, equivalent to the number of candidates coming from other states for the UP Police exam. The staggering number of unemployed candidates is similar to the populations of several countries, posing a challenge for the UP government to conduct these exams.
UP Government's Robust Arrangements
The UP government has left no stone unturned for smooth conduct of the exams. Last time, in two days and four shifts, 4.8 million candidates appeared. This time, over five days and ten shifts, 4.8 million are taking the exam, averaging 480,000 candidates per shift. This has allowed thorough checks and scrutinies at all examination centers, with gates closing half an hour before the start of each shift.
This may be the first time such an extensive network of CCTV cameras is monitoring the exams. Reports indicate exams are being conducted in 16,514 rooms with 17,000 CCTV cameras installed. Each room is under surveillance, monitored by 17,000 cameras, translating to one camera for every 24 candidates, watched at district and headquarters levels.
Security concerns have previously arose when candidates smuggled small Bluetooth devices to facilitate cheating. To prevent this, the police are making candidates remove items like threads or wristbands.
Precautions in Exam Center Allocation
To avoid last year's incident where paper leaks were believed to result from collusion among staff handling the papers, the UP Police Recruitment Board has exercised restraint in selecting exam centers, predominantly opting for government or aided schools, avoiding private schools prone to collusion. Segregated responsibilities for officers at each handling stage, from treasury to examination center, have been established. Each exam center is within 10 kilometers from the district treasury. Additionally, timekeeping disputes are minimized by providing 17,000 standardized wall clocks to examination centers. Over the past 20 days, UP Police and Special Task Force have surveilled 1,541 known offenders involved in paper leaks and solver gangs over the past 12 years.
More than 20,000 suspicious candidates have been pre-identified and are being scrutinized even before exam day. Three hundred thousand candidates who didn’t provide their Aadhaar numbers have undergone e-KYC processing at exam centers. Despite these measures, four days remain in the exam period, and maintaining this security is paramount to thwart any attempts of breach. Strict actions are taken even against those spreading rumors about paper leaks.
UP Police Active on Telegram
Social media, particularly Telegram, has often been a haven for paper leak claims. Eleven such channels involved in scams, promising leaked exam papers for Rs 20,000, have led the UP Police to remain vigilant. One such channel, UPP Constable, boldly claimed possession of the exam paper, stating: 'ADMIT cards are out, purchase the paper for Rs 20,000’. Other posts demanded payments via QR codes. Police actions have led to FIRs against these groups, including a case against former minister and Samajwadi Party leader Yasir Shah, accused of spreading rumors.
Should everything proceed without incidents of paper leaks or cheating, UP's robust measures could set a precedent for the entire country. Given that such a large-scale recruitment drive has never been conducted before, success would mark a significant achievement.
