DNA Exclusive: Analysis of how UP administration 'failed' in conducting PET

Social media visuals showed widespread chaos at railway and bus stations as lakhs of candidates, appearing in the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission's Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET), desperately tried to get a train or a bus to return to their homes.

New Delhi: The railway stations and bus stands across Uttar Pradesh were packed with candidates appearing in the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission's Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) on Saturday and Sunday. Social media visuals showed widespread chaos at railway and bus stations as lakhs of candidates desperately tried to get a train or a bus to return to their homes. 

In today's DNA, Zee News makes an analysis of how the Uttar Pradesh administration "failed" in conducting the exam.

The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Staff Selection Commission conducted the preliminary eligibility test on October 15 and October 16. Lakhs of students had applied for PET and on the two days, the candidates had to appear in the exam across different examination centers. Thousands of students, however, were seen at various railway stations struggling to get inside trains. Some social media visuals even showed students running behind the trains to board them. There are four doors to enter a coach of the train, but the rush was such that the PET candidates were also seen entering the coach through the "emergency exit" windows.

The reason behind this chaos was the number of trains and buses running according to their normal schedule. There were no arrangements for special trains or buses for these candidates.

If there are lakhs of applicants, then a proper system should have been in place to conduct the examination with keeping in mind the modes of transport that they were going to use.

If we look at election rallies, in order to mobilize the crowd, the workers of the political parties call people with the promise of providing them money and food. Not only this, but party workers also bring people to the rally sites by arranging buses or other modes of transport for them. For bringing people to the rally and making arrangements for their return to their homes, the planning is done in advance. But the irony of the country is that no such facility is provided to the students who take up such examinations. Leave aside the free facilities, even the paid facilities are not provided as they should.

Special trains and buses should be run for such examinations where lakhs of candidates are expected to appear. Even if the candidates are charged for these special trains and buses, several students will rather pay than put their lives at such risk.

#DNA : PET परीक्षा में कहां गईं फ्री बसों की सुविधा? #UP #ViralVideo @irohitr pic.twitter.com/Brw81FZLCc — Zee News (@ZeeNews) October 17, 2022