Hundreds of aspirants from the Uttar Pradesh Subordinated Service Selection Commission (UPSSSC) Level-2 teacher recruitment examination, which is being conducted for over 68,500 vacant post of Assistant Teachers across the state, assembled near Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's residence in Lucknow on Friday morning. The protest was organised by the UPSSSC Concerned Candidates Sammelan Samiti, a body representing aggrieved candidates from various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
The core of the demonstrators' grievance revolves around the caste reservation policy and the implementation of an order passed by the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Backward Classes. According to sources familiar with the matter, the commission had directed that candidates belonging to OBC categories should be evaluated separately against their respective category-wise cutoff marks rather than being considered under the general pool, a practice the candidates claim has led to their disqualification despite clear merit within their reserved category.
The protest remains largely peaceful as of early afternoon, with participants holding banners and placards carrying slogans such as 'Nyay Chahiye, Dhokha Nahi' (We Want Justice, Not Deceit) and 'Girimi Hatayein, Vikas Layein' (Remove Lies, Bring Development). Many of the young men and women who travelled to Lucknow from districts including Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Meerut and Bareilly said they had invested months of preparation and significant financial resources for the exam, only to see their names excluded from final lists.
UPSSSC had originally released a provisional result that triggered discontent among several OBC candidates who believed their scores placed them above the category-wise cutoff but were not included in the selection list. The State Commission for Backward Classes subsequently issued an order asking the recruitment authority to review the selection criteria in light of reservation mandates, though the exact status of that directive remains unclear.
Police officials confirmed that the assembly at the location did not involve any Violence or disruption of traffic, noting that the candidates maintained discipline throughout. No arrests were reported as of evening. The protest was scheduled to continue through the day before candidates planned to escalate to a dharna if their demands are not addressed within 48 hours.
Union Minister of State for Education have also been approached by candidate representatives seeking intervention. Political analysts note that the issue carries electoral significance given the large number of aspirants from backward communities who view government employment as a critical pathway for social mobility.
The UPSSSC teacher recruitment drive for 68,500 positions was announced as one of the largest state-level hiring exercises in recent years, with applications received exceeding two million. The examinations were conducted in multiple phases across thousands of centres statewide over several months.
