UP Police recruitment exam question with ‘Pandit’ option sparks row; probe ordered

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) has ordered an inquiry into a controversial "Pandit" option given for a question on opportunists in a police recruitment examination after objections were raised by leaders of the ruling BJP over it.

The question, which appeared in the Hindi section of the written examination conducted on March 14 for the recruitment of sub-inspectors, asked candidates to choose a one-word answer for a person who changes according to opportunity. The options included "Pandit", "Opportunist", "Innocent" and "Virtuous".

The issue triggered a political row after Uttar Pradesh BJP secretary Abhijat Mishra wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking action against those responsible for framing the question, saying the inclusion of "Pandit" among the options hurt the sentiments of the Brahmin community.

"The correct meaning of a person who changes according to the opportunity is 'opportunist', but including 'Pandit' among the options hurts the sentiments of a particular community," Mishra said, adding the term "Pandit" is associated with knowledge and religious respect. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the government has taken serious note of the matter and ordered an immediate investigation. In a post on X, Pathak said it was "absolutely unacceptable" for any question to hurt the dignity of any society or class and asserted that strict action would be taken against those responsible after the probe. In a post late Saturday, the UPPRPB said that it has ordered an inquiry into the specific question that was circulated on social media.

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The Board said the question was from the first shift of the written examination conducted on March 14 for recruitment to the posts of Sub-Inspector (Civil Police) and equivalent positions. The Board said it follows a stringent protocol to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of question papers before the examination. "The Board has established a highly rigorous protocol to ensure that the integrity of the question papers remains completely intact prior to the examinations. To uphold this security protocol, no officer or employee at the Board level is granted access to the question paper material," it said.

According to the board, sealed packets containing the question papers are opened for the first time inside examination halls in the presence of two invigilators before distribution to candidates. The examination controller of the board said an inquiry has been ordered regarding the specific question and responsibility will be fixed after the probe. "Following the inquiry, culpability will be established and action will be ensured against those concerned," the board said.

The controversy comes days after opposition parties accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of being "anti-Brahmin" following the alleged mistreatment of Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj. Against this backdrop, the latest row over the examination question has the potential to escalate into a larger political controversy, particularly since the objection has come from leaders within the ruling party itself.