UPESSC assistant professor exam cancelled after paper leak; three arrested

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the cancellation of the Assistant Professor examination conducted last year by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) following serious irregularities, including paper leakage, officials said on Wednesday. According to a press statement, the decision was taken on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who ordered a confidential inquiry after the Special Task Force (STF) received intelligence inputs about large-scale irregularities in the examination held in April 2025.

According to an official statement, the STF uncovered a racket involved in preparing fake question papers and cheating candidates during the Assistant Professor examination conducted on April 16 and 17. Acting on the inputs, the STF arrested three accused -- Mehboob Ali, Baijnath Pal and Vinay Pal -- on April 20 in connection with exam manipulation and illegal extortion.

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FIR registered, chairperson asked to step down

An FIR was registered at Vibhutikhand police station in Lucknow under relevant sections of the BNS. To ensure fairness and confidentiality of the investigation, the then chairperson of the commission was asked to resign, as one of the accused, Mehboob Ali, was working as her confidential assistant. UPESSC chairperson Prof Kirti Pandey resigned in September last year.

According to the statement, during interrogation, Mehboob Ali allegedly confessed that he had accessed question papers of various subjects during the moderation process and supplied them to candidates in exchange for money. The STF said the confession was corroborated through detailed investigation and data analysis.

Reiterating the state government's commitment to maintaining transparency, fairness and integrity in all recruitment processes, the statement said the UPESSC has been directed to ensure that the examination is conducted afresh in a fair and transparent manner. The government said the decision was taken keeping in mind the interests and future of genuine candidates and assured strict action against those involved in examination-related malpractices.