Amid paper leak concerns, UPSSSC to float fresh tenders for selecting agency

The UPSSSC conducts recruitment for nearly 12000 group C posts (about 1000 every month) in the state government’s administrative departments.

Amid concerns over question paper leaks in different examinations, the state government has become extra cautious and one of its leading recruitment bodies -- the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) – has decided to refloat tenders for appointment of the agency responsible for conducting the examination papers, delivery of question papers and transferring OMR sheets to the commission responsible for the selection of candidates to fill vacancies in various departments.

Image used for representation.(Getty)

The UPSSSC conducts recruitment for nearly 12000 group C posts (about 1000 every month) in the state government’s administrative departments. The UPSSSC’s work pressure is bound to increase in 2024-25 keeping in view the state government’s drive to fill up vacancies in different departments with the commission already inviting applications this month to fill nearly 4,000 vacancies.

The decision to fresh float tenders to appoint the agency in one of the four categories has been taken following reports that the sole agency that applied for appointment under the category was blacklisted.

“We floated tenders for appointment of agencies in four – A, B, C and D -- categories. While the agencies have been shortlisted for three categories- A, C, and D, only one company that applied under B category has been found to be blacklisted,” said a senior UPSSSC official.

The agency given the work of A category will be responsible for paper setting, printing and placing the question paper in the government treasury. The agency for B category work will be responsible for taking out question papers from treasuries to the examination centres, making arrangements for the exam and taking OMR sheets to the commission. The agency allotted category C work will be responsible for security, frisking, biomatric capturing and setting up CCTV control room while the agency assigned D category of work will be responsible for scanning of OMR sheets and providing the score to the commission.

The state government’s directives for four categories of agencies are in accordance with the recommendations of the Paliwal committee (headed by former IAS officer CB Paliwal) that submitted its report in 2018. The committee recommended that no one agency should be given end-to-end work about conducting the examination. Instead, there should be the use of multiple agencies for the same. The UPSSSC had floated tenders for appointment of agencies in four categories to conduct the examination.

Those aware of the developments said the decision to refloat the tender is bound to delay the recruitment process. UPSSSC has already advertised more than 4000 vacancies this month following the state government’s drive to fill the vacant posts and more advertisements may be issued in coming months.

The UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) has blacklisted the Gujarat-based Edutest Solutions Private Limited, which had conducted the recruitment examination for 60,244 posts of police constables on February 17-18 this year, for negligence leading to a paper leak. On February 24, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered cancellation of the examination following confirmed reports of the paper leak.