SSC Aspirants’ Protest at Ramlila Maidan Over Exam Irregularities; Allegations of Police Action Surface

SSC aspirants staged protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on Aug 24 over exam mismanagement and vendor failures. Allegations of police action surfaced on social media; SSC is yet to respond.

Ramlila Maidan in Delhi witnessed protest on Sunday with thousands of SSC (Staff Selection Commission) aspirants and teachers across the country gathered under Chhatra Maha Andolan. Protest was called to highlight alleged irregularities in recent SSC examinations has now led to a storm on social media after allegations surfaced that Delhi Police used force to disperse protesters.

Protest was organised regarding various issues during SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exam held between July 24 and August 1. Students alleged abrupt cancellations, technical glitches, biometric failures and mismanagement at examination centres. Many candidates also said that despite spending years preparing for exams their futures is now being jeopardized due to poor administration.

A major issue has been role of exam vendor, Eduquity Career Technologies which has been given contract to conduct SSC exams. Students and teachers have accused vendor of lacking proper infrastructure, citing poor exam centre allocation, technical breakdowns, and logistical challenges for candidates, particularly those coming from rural areas. 

Anger has also grown from repeated exam irregularities in recent years, including errors in question papers, discrepancies in answer keys, delays in declaring results, and lack of proper grievance redressal. Students said that these issues have eroded trust in SSC recruitment process. 

According to reports, more than 1,500 people participated in protest and around 44 were detained once permitted time at venue ended. Protesters have termed detentions illegal and accused authorities of attempting to silence dissent.

Till now, neither SSC nor Delhi Police has issued an official statement on allegations of police action at Ramlila Maidan. Meanwhile, student groups and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) have demanded an inquiry, immediate vendor replacement and reforms in recruitment process.