The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) has opted to retender its search for an agency to oversee examination processes. This decision follows the blacklisting of the sole applicant for one of the tender categories. The UPSSSC, which facilitates recruitment for approximately 12,000 Group C positions in the state’s administrative departments each year, is gearing up for an increased workload in 2024-25 due to a government initiative to fill various vacancies. This month alone, the commission has begun accepting applications for nearly 4,000 positions.
The decision to retender stems from the discovery that the only agency applying for category B tasks—handling the transportation of question papers from the treasury to examination centers, organizing the exam logistics, and returning OMR sheets—was blacklisted. According to a senior UPSSSC official, tenders were initially floated across four categories: A, B, C, and D. While agencies for categories A, C, and D were shortlisted, the blacklisted status of the sole B category applicant necessitated a reissue of the tender for that segment.
The agency selected for category A will be responsible for setting, printing, and securing the question papers in the government treasury. Category B entails transporting these papers to exam centers, overseeing the examination process, and delivering OMR sheets to the commission. The agency assigned category C will manage security measures, including frisking, biometric capturing, and establishing a CCTV control room. Lastly, the category D agency will handle the scanning of OMR sheets and reporting scores to the commission.
These directives align with the recommendations of the Paliwal committee, led by former IAS officer CB Paliwal, which advocated in 2018 for the use of multiple agencies to conduct examinations, ensuring no single entity handles all aspects of the process. This approach aims to enhance security and reduce the risk of leaks.
Despite the anticipated delay in the recruitment process due to the retendering, UPSSSC’s commitment to transparency and integrity remains firm. The commission’s recent advertisement for over 4,000 vacancies marks the beginning of a significant recruitment drive, with more announcements expected in the near future.
This cautious approach follows a notable incident involving Edutest Solutions Private Limited, a Gujarat-based company. The UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) blacklisted Edutest Solutions after a paper leak during the police constable recruitment examination for 60,244 posts in February. In response to this breach, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promptly canceled the exam, underscoring the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards such negligence.
By retendering and reinforcing strict guidelines, the UPSSSC aims to safeguard the integrity of its examination processes, ensuring a fair and transparent recruitment system for the state’s administrative departments.
