Police use batons to control students’ protest in northern India
by Utsav RoyIn northern India’s Uttar Pradesh, a massive protest by students erupted outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office as they demanded that the PCS-2024 and RO-ARO exams be conducted on a single day instead of two. The police responded with baton charges, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders.
The incident took place outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office in Prayagraj on November 11.
Visuals showed a large crowd of protesting students filling the area outside the UPPCS office. Tensions escalated as police began baton-charging the demonstrators, attempting to disperse the crowd. The sudden force created a chaotic atmosphere, with students scrambling in various directions, some shielding themselves with their arms, while others attempted to help friends or move to safer spots. The air was filled with shouts and sounds of the clash, as the line between the police and the crowd blurred amid the confusion. The once-organized protest quickly turned into a scene of panic and urgency.
According to reports, the students are opposing UPPCS’s recent decision to hold the PCS-2024 preliminary and RO-ARO-2024 preliminary exams over two days. Demonstrators argue that the exams should be conducted in a single day to ensure fairness and avoid normalization issues.
The protest, which began early on Monday, saw students breaking through police barricades to reach the UPPCS premises. In response, police, along with PAC and RAF personnel, were deployed to control the crowd and maintain order. The situation escalated, leading to baton charges on the protestors, sparking further agitation.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav condemned the police action, accusing the ruling BJP government of being anti-student. “Today’s youth are saying they don’t want BJP,” Yadav tweeted on the social media platform X, criticizing the government for resorting to force rather than addressing the students’ demands.
The UPPSC had initially announced that the PCS-2024 preliminary exams would be held on December 7-8, and the RO-ARO preliminary exams on December 22-23. Protestors argue that the two-day scheduling, along with normalization policies, disadvantages them, particularly given the previous one-day schedule. The Student Struggle Committee’s media representative, Prashant Pandey, asserted that the protests would continue until UPPSC agreed to hold the exams on a single day.