"The Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) exams should be cancelled and held again. If this doesn't happen, there will be a fierce protest.”
"If there is even a single case of a broken seal, the exam should be conducted again. All students are equal."
"We've prepared diligently for years. We took the exam, but now our future is at stake."
This plea is by the candidates who appeared for the RO and ARO exams under the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) in Uttar Pradesh. Since the examination was held on 11 February, there has been a row over an alleged paper leak. Candidates have been protesting against it in various places across the state.
The controversy erupted in an exam centre at SMN Inter College in the Muhammadabad area of Ghazipur, in Uttar Pradesh. But what exactly transpired between 10 am and 12 am on 11 February that has jeopardized the future of millions of candidates appearing for this exam, conducted across 2,387 centres in 58 districts?
The Quint spoke to three individuals connected to the incident to understand why the row actually erupted and throw light on how their statements raise questions about the exam.
Who are the Three Main Characters?
The controversy that began in Ghazipur has now reached every district of Uttar Pradesh. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police is probing the matter. A special number has been released, requesting candidates to submit videos or photos as evidence. Now, let's go back to the three main characters of this story and their statements.
The first character is the exam centre administrator, Seraj Ahmed, who is also the principal of SMN Inter College in Machhatti, Ghazipur.
The second character is a candidate, Ashutosh Chaubey, whose video, raising the issue of the paper leak, went viral.
The third character is Static Magistrate, Ramveer Singh, who filed the first information report (FIR) in the case.
Ashutosh's name is mentioned in the first FIR filed in this case. Interestingly, according to these three individuals, the story of what exactly transpired during the two hours of the examination varies.
'Students Were Shown CCTV Footage to Calm Them Down'
According to the exam centre administrator, Seraj Ahmed, no recruitment exam had ever been conducted at this centre in Machhatti before. This was the first recruitment exams that were held.
He mentioned that the subdivisional magistrate handed over the bundles of papers between 8.40 am and 8.42 am. Following the static magistrate's order, the process of opening the bundles was videographed.
Shortly after the distribution of papers, several students who were seated in hall numbers 9 and 10 came out and started creating a commotion.
"Some students, including Ashutosh Chaubey, reached the field outside. They made videos of them waving the question papers. The static magistrate had to intervene, after which, the students calmed down. They were shown CCTV footage of the bundles being opened in the control room," Seraj told The Quint.
He claimed that candidates were assured of extra time and allowed to sit for the exam and that a committee has been formed to investigate the matter.
'Papers With Broken Seals Brought In Exam Centre'
The second character in this case is both a complainant and an accused. The candidate Ashutosh Chaubey, who had accused the exam centre in Ghazipur of leaking the paper, had an FIR filed against him the next day.
When The Quint spoke to the candidate, the version he provided differed from Seraj's statement.
According to Chaubey, there was disorder at the exam centre from the beginning.
As per the rules, if the exam is to start at 9.30 am, the OMR sheets have to be distributed at least 10 minutes in advance (by 9.20 am).
But no invigilator was present in the class even at around 9.35 am. Shortly after, papers with broken seals were brought in, Choubey alleged.
He claimed that the static magistrate told the candidates that "if they want to take the exam, then they had to do so, otherwise, the candidates from halls 9 and 10 would be marked absent and the exam will be conducted."
Ashutosh was told that the reason behind the broken seals was that the staff had little time after receiving the papers, and there was only one pair of scissors available in the premises, so the question papers were provided after cutting the seals in the control room."
'Exam Ended 30 Minutes Late'
"By 10 am, students were told they would be given extra time to complete the exam or face consequences if they did not sit for it. The exam, which concluded at 12 pm, was supposed to end at 11.30 am," Chaubey alleged.
He also claimed that since the exam, he had been "pressured" to release a statement on his social media handles declaring the reported incident of the paper leak as false.
On 11 February, Station House Officer Rajesh Bahadur of Bhawar Police Station also spoke to him, during which Chaubey said that no student had uploaded any video from their social media accounts; rather, it was the public outside the premises who uploaded videos over the incident.
Chaubey added that the next day (12 February), Static Magistrate Ramveer Singh filed an FIR against him.
He asserted that this case is not only about him but also involves all the students present at the centre, who are witnesses to what happened that day and whether any CCTV footage was shown to the students.
Additionally, CCTV cameras were installed in the premises, which could potentially reveal the true events of that day.
When The Quint attempted to discuss the entire matter with the third character, Static Magistrate Ramveer Singh, he outright refused to speak about his role or even discuss the case.
This story from the Ghazipur centre is still awaiting its conclusion. Currently, a three-member internal investigation committee has been formed by the UPPSC, which has already begun its inquiry.
It remains to be seen how the administration will deliver justice in such cases. What will happen to the thousands of students who took the exam? Questions also loom over the administration and the government on when exams can be concluded properly without alleged paper leaks.
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