SRPF recruitment put on hold after question paper row; probe underway

Exam came under scrutiny after candidates claimed that a majority of questions were directly taken from a practice paper titled ‘Sarav Prashnasanch 10’ published by Maharashtra Publication Academy

A day after serious allegations surfaced that 85 out of 100 questions in the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) recruitment exam were lifted verbatim from a private guidebook, authorities have initiated a high-level inquiry and suspended the ongoing recruitment process until further orders.

Aspirants alleged that not only the questions but also their sequence and answer options matched exactly, raising concerns about fairness and transparency in the recruitment process. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The written examination for constable posts, conducted on May 2 under SRPF Group 5, had come under scrutiny after candidates claimed that a majority of questions were directly taken from a practice paper titled ‘Sarav Prashnasanch 10’ published by Maharashtra Publication Academy.

Aspirants alleged that not only the questions but also their sequence and answer options matched exactly, raising concerns about fairness and transparency in the recruitment process.

Following widespread outrage among candidates, the office of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), SRPF, Pune, has begun a detailed probe into the matter.

“Considering the seriousness of the allegations, a thorough investigation has been initiated. The recruitment process under SRPF Group 5, Daund, has been temporarily suspended until further orders,” the statement by DIG SRPF read. It added that appropriate action would be taken once the inquiry report is submitted.

With the recruitment now on hold, thousands of aspirants await clarity on whether the exam will be conducted.

“The exam needed to be cancelled. The next exam schedule should be announced at the earliest. Now that a re-exam is unavoidable, questions must strictly follow the prescribed pattern,” said an aspirant requesting anonymity.