The Combined State Engineering Services Examination (Advt A-8/E-1) 2013 was conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) in 2016 from April 10 to 13 – three years after its initial date of schedule.
Students who had graduated on or before 2013 were eligible for the examination, however, it was delayed due to unknown reasons and the results still remain undeclared.
Four years after the scheduled date, as the frustration grows deeper, thousands of engineers have decided to stage a protest in Lucknow on Sunday, May 28.
The issue
The UPPSC had notified the advertisement for recruitment of students in vacancies in various departments under UP Govt (A-8/E-1) in 2013, however, the exam was held 3 years later in 2016.
The result, which should have been out in 2-3 months after the examination, is not yet declared. Furthermore, the answer key has also not been uploaded and the UPPSC has not released any statement regarding the delay.
Actions taken by students so far
The students have complained and protested multiple times in the past, including the filing of Right To Information (RTI) pleas.
The Logical Indian spoke to aspirants who had appeared for the examination last year. As per the information provided by them, the UPPSC has been contacted several times through different means of communication.
“Either the query is never responded back or even if it is, every official says that the result is under progress which they themselves don’t know,” said Abhishek Sharma, an IIT Bombay alumnus.
The students have filed RTIs and sent out several tweets tagging the UP government, UPPSC and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the problem continues to persist, with no response from the authorities concerned.
“Many of us have contributed in huge amounts to pay legal fees and file a petition in the court against UPPSC for their careless attitude towards the future of the country’s youth who are unemployed since 2013. The case is ongoing in the Allahabad High Court, but we are getting nothing more than further dates. The UPPSC has replied to the court that the copies cannot be checked as they have limited manpower and funds are unavailable to call faculties to check the copies.” said Sharma.
The students have resorted to several low-scale protests and actions have also been taken on a personal level, but the only reply that they receive is that the ‘result is under progress.’
“UP Secretary has also intimated UPPSC about the matter but no outcome has yet been announced or reflected,” added Sharma.
Earlier this month, the students had written a letter addressed to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in hopes that their issue will be resolved. The letter had also been forwarded to UPPSC, but action is yet to be taken.
UPPSC’s claims
The Logical Indian tried to contact UPPSC officials through the phone number provided in its official website. However, after multiple attempts, our calls were not answered.
As reported by Hindustan Times, UPPSC secretary Atal Rai, on his part, said the matter will be looked into.
“Since the candidates were engineers themselves who graduated from top engineering institutions across India, their answer sheets will have to be checked by professors of IITs and MNITs. Everything is in the process,” Rai added.
Future plan of action and students’ demands
The students claim that the delay is fueled by an agenda of politicians and bureaucrats. They have decided to hold a stronger protest on May 28 from 10 AM onwards. The mass protest will involve a student march from Parivartan Chowk, Lucknow to the residence of CM Yogi Adityanath.
“We want to give UPPSC and UP Govt a reminder so that they stop playing with the future of students,” said Sharma.
The students demand that a written confirmation about the status of results and the exact time frame required to release the results and interview process be given.
“If this goes unanswered, students have threatened to go a hunger strike,” added Sharma.
The Logical Indian community stands in solidarity with the students who are deprived of their basic right to access exam results. The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission failed in its duty to hold the examination as scheduled, and delay in releasing results only adds to the harassment faced by the engineering graduates. It is highly unfortunate that educated youngsters of our country are forced to hold protest marches when they should be working at respectable jobs.