Lucknow: The protest by competitive students outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office in Lucknow entered its fourth consecutive day on Thursday, with tensions escalating as the police detained several student leaders.
According to officials, police arrived at the protest site and attempted to arrest some student leaders, leading to a scuffle between the police and protesters. The students held onto their leaders, but police forcibly removed several of them from the spot. The altercations caused a commotion as students opposed the detention.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) City Abhishek Bharti, who arrived at the scene, clarified that four 'anarchist elements' were detained. Bharti said that these individuals were inciting unrest and provoking the students, which led to their detention for questioning.
He assured that no students had been mistreated by the police and emphasised that only those responsible for instigating the agitation were targeted.
The protest has also seen active participation of female students who joined their male counterparts in demanding a return to the previous practice of holding the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) and Review Officer-Assistant Review Officer (RO-ARO) preliminary exams on a single day.
Despite the clashes, the police maintained that their actions were necessary to maintain order and prevent disruptions caused.
The protests, which began earlier this week, were sparked by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission's (UPPSC) decision to conduct the exams over two days in December.
The UPPSC has scheduled the PCS preliminary exams for December 7 and 8, while the RO-ARO exams are set for December 22 and 23. Students argue that this division of exams is unfair and inconvenient, as it forces them to prepare for multiple exams over separate days.
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