E-Paper
RO/ARO exam paper leak: UPPSC three-member internal committee’s probe underway
Aspirants claimed that the paper leak in RO/ARO examination-2023 led to launching a campaign on social media platform X.
The three-member internal probe committee established by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has initiated an investigation into the allegations of a paper leak during the preliminary examination of Review Officer/Assistant Review Officer (RO/ARO)-2023 held on February 12.
However, a senior official admitted that the state government’s decision on the recommended Special Task Force (STF) investigation by UPPSC is still pending. With the RO/ARO (Main) examination-2023 scheduled for July 28, UPPSC officials are treating the allegations seriously and remain tight-lipped about future actions.
The primary focus of the internal investigation committee is to determine whether the alleged paper leak occurred and, if so, its potential impact on the upcoming main examination on July 28. Additionally, the probe panel aims to identify the source of the leak, particularly concerning the selection of examination centers, which has drawn scrutiny from aspirants alleging irregularities.
The commission decides the centres at the level of the district magistrate, but in many districts, due to the nexus of private schools and the clerical level staff of DM offices, the government and government-aided colleges are often ignored, and private institutions are made centres, allege aspirants.
After reports of the alleged answer key for the RO/ARO examination-2023 circulated on social media, UPPSC recommended on February 12 that the government involve the UP STF in the investigation and formed an internal committee for the same. The examination, conducted on February 11 at 2387 centres across 58 districts, attracted 64% of the total 10,76,004 registered candidates.
Meanwhile, aspirants have demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter. The youngsters preparing for competitive exams have called for a three-member inquiry committee headed by a sitting high court judge and two retired high court judges as its members to be formed to investigate the allegations. They also want the probe to be completed within 15 days and an email Id/ post box address/ WhatsApp number to be issued on which the aggrieved candidates can send complaints. They also want the identity of the complainants to be kept confidential.
Aspirants claimed that the paper leak in RO/ARO examination-2023 led to launching a campaign on social media platform X. Hashtags ‘RO/ARO paper leaked’, ‘UPPSC V Demand Reexam’ and ‘Cancel RO/ARO exam’ were trending on Wednesday.
Additionally, online study platforms- under the chairmanship of Bhrastachar Mukti Morcha president Kaushal Singh- and advocacy groups have pledged support for the aspirants’ cause, emphasising the need for transparency and justice in the examination process.
