LUCKNOW: The Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police (UP STF), intelligence agencies, and police in Uttar Pradesh have been directed to prevent any malpractice and ensure fairness and transparency in the examination to recruit Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) due on July 27.
According to an official spokesman, the exam will be held across all 75 districts of the state on July 27 in a single shift from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Over 10.76 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam, for which 2,382 centres have been set up across the state.
It may be remembered that the Uttar Pradesh government had cancelled the examination for the recruitment of RO/ARO in February 2024 to safeguard the integrity of the examination following the reports of paper leak, and the entire issue was handed over to the STF for investigation.
Each district magistrate has been appointed as a nodal officer to monitor all the arrangements and take quick decisions as and when needed, the statement said.
Officials said the STF has been specifically directed to monitor the sensitive exam centres identified prior to the test.
The state government has also issued strict instructions to track and monitor individuals with a history of disrupting the integrity of exams, including known cheating syndicates and repeat offenders.
“Those previously involved in exam-related crimes and currently out on bail will be kept under special surveillance,” said a senior state government official.
Moreover, the STF will also keep a close watch on social media platforms, including open forums as well as private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, as they are often used to spread rumours or coordinate illegal activities.
The government spokesman said that the dedicated teams would monitor coaching institutes during the exam period, and any suspicious activity would immediately be reported to the agencies concerned for quick action.
Police forces will be deployed at every exam centre to maintain law and order and conduct strict frisking of candidates to ensure no banned items are carried inside.
Armed guards and senior officers will be present throughout the process – from taking the confidential exam papers out of the treasury to dispatching answer sheets after the exam.
If any candidate or person is found using unfair means during the exam, strict legal action will be taken under the relevant sections of law.
The official spokesman said that a senior officer would be appointed for seamless coordination between the agencies on the day of the exam, while the police commissioner, SSP and SP in every district would directly oversee the arrangements.