UP PCS prelim exam begins; biometrics introduced to ensure transparency

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 22 (ANI): As the 2024 Uttar Pradesh Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services (Preliminary) Examination-2024 exams began, aspirants arrived at different exam centres across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Visuals showed aspirants being qued up to enter exam centres in several places in Uttar Pradesh including Varanasi, Prayagraj and Agra.
As an added security feature, this time the candidates will be allowed to enter the examination centres only after thorough biometric verification (iris/eye scan).
"UP PCS pre-exam is going to be conducted today. Biometrics and thumb tests were being conducted to ensure that fake candidates could not enter the exam halls," an official at the exam centre said.
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Priyanka Yadav, an aspirant outside an exam centre in Varanasi, said, "Today is the UP PCS exam; in the first shift, the GK and GS exams are there. CSAT will be conducted during the second shift. Feeling secure and comfortable, there are no issues here."
"I am confident with the preparation by the Ayog. I am assured that the exam will be conducted in a fair manner," another aspirant told ANI.
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Another aspirant said, "The arrangements for the exam are very good. Checking is being done in several layers. With the kind of arrangement that has been made, I believe the issue of paper leak will be resolved..."
Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) is organizing the PCS exam 2024 on Sunday. The exam will be held at 1,331 centres across all 75 districts of the state, with 576,154 candidates registered for the exam, the officials said.
The exam will be conducted in two shifts. In Lucknow, the exam will take place at 64 centres, they added.
The National PG College in Lucknow has been designated as an exam centre, where a large number of candidates from across the state have arrived to take the exam. A ban has been imposed on all electronic gadgets at the exam centres.
As per the officials, the exam will be held in two shifts, the first shift from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM and the second shift from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
Earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission's (UPPSC) RO/ARO exam was cancelled amid allegations of paper leak.
The exam was held on February 11 stands cancelled amid intense protests by the candidates who claimed that the question paper was copied using technology to create confusion about which paper was leaked. (ANI)