Protest breaks out during police constable recruitment exam in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district
Some confusion during the police constable recruitment examination at Sharadamba PU College in Tikota, Vijayapura district, led to a protests by several aspirants. They alleged
Some confusion during the police constable recruitment examination at Sharadamba PU College in Tikota, Vijayapura district, led to a protests by several aspirants. They alleged irregularities in the distribution of question papers and OMR sheets. Hundreds of candidates walked out of the examination centre and demanded that the test be conducted again. Candidates alleged that the question papers, scheduled to be distributed at 10.30 a.m., were handed over nearly 30 minutes late. They also claimed that there was a mismatch between the serial numbers on the question papers and OMR sheets. According to the aspirants, the distribution process varied across classrooms, with some receiving question papers before OMR sheets and others facing the opposite situation, leading to widespread confusion.
Following the disruption, candidates boycotted the examination and staged a protest outside the centre, raising slogans against the Karnataka government. Some aspirants broke down in tears, saying it was their final opportunity to appear for the recruitment exam after preparing for the past two to three years. They urged the government and the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) to conduct a re-examination, claiming that the confusion had put their futures at risk. Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner Anandh K., Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi and other officials visited the examination centre to assess the situation.
While some candidates continued writing the examination, many others refused to return and reiterated their demand for a fresh test. Responding to the allegations, Dr. Anandh said Sharadamba PU College was one of the 61 examination centres in the district and that the examination was conducted as per the KEA’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). He clarified that there is no requirement for the serial numbers on the question paper and OMR sheet to match, and candidates only needed to correctly mention the question paper version code and their registration number on the OMR sheet.
The Deputy Commissioner said that similar confusion was reported at a few other examination centres, but most candidates resumed writing the examination after supervisors explained the procedure. He added that candidates who walked out carrying question papers and OMR sheets had violated KEA rules and were therefore not allowed to re-enter the examination hall. Around 115 candidates appeared for the examination at the Tikota centre.
The BriefWire