UP: STF to keep close watch on RO/ARO examination

Lucknow: The Special Task Force (STF), intelligence agencies, and police in Uttar Pradesh have been asked to prevent any malpractice and ensure fairness and transparency in the examination to recruit review officer (RO) and assistant review officer (ARO) scheduled on July 27, an official statement said.

The exam will be held in all the 75 districts of the state on July 27 in a single shift from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.

More than 10.76 lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam for which 2,382 centres have been set up across the state.

Each district magistrate has been appointed as nodal officer to monitor all the arrangements and take quick decisions as and when needed, the statement said.

Officials said the STF has been specifically directed to monitor the sensitive exam centres identified prior to the test.

The state government has also issued strict instructions to track and monitor individuals with a history of disrupting the integrity of exams, including known cheating syndicates and repeat offenders, the statement said.

Those previously involved in exam-related crimes and currently out on bail will be kept under special surveillance, it said.

The STF will also keep a close watch on social media platforms, including open fora as well as private messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, which are often exploited to spread rumours or coordinate illegal activities.

Dedicated teams will monitor coaching institutes during the exam period, and any suspicious activity will be immediately reported to the concerned agencies for quick action, the statement said.

Police forces will be deployed at every exam centre to maintain law and order and conduct strict frisking of candidates to ensure no banned items are carried inside.

Armed guards and senior officers will be present throughout the process – from taking exam papers out of treasury to dispatching answer sheets after exam.