Less than a week after Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed appointment letters to more than 60,000 newly recruited constables in Uttar Pradesh, serious questions have emerged over his claims that the recruitment process was entirely transparent.

The appointments, made on June 15 at an event in Lucknow, were hailed by Shah as part of the "largest recruitment drive to date" for the UP Police, conducted without recommendations, bribes, or caste-community bias—purely on merit.

However, this declaration has drawn criticism and scrutiny due to the tainted history of the examination process.

The recruitment in question was part of the “Reservist Civil Police Direct Recruitment 2023,” a process marred by controversy over the past two years.

In 2023, the examination was cancelled due to a widespread paper leak. The following year, in February 2024, the re-conducted exam once again came under fire for allegations of cheating and irregularities, prompting a Special Task Force (STF) investigation.

Held on February 17 and 18, 2024, the examination saw participation from over 48 lakh candidates across Uttar Pradesh. Following credible reports of a question paper leak and widespread cheating, over 120 individuals were arrested from multiple districts. Proxy candidates and those assisting others in malpractice were among those apprehended.

In response to the outcry, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was forced to cancel the examination. The agency responsible for conducting the exam, Gujarat-based Edutest Solutions Private Limited, was blacklisted by the UP government on June 20, 2024.

This wasn’t the first instance of controversy surrounding the company. Edutest had earlier been banned in Bihar for a similar paper leak and has faced persistent allegations of irregularities across multiple states.

Despite these concerns, the company has continued to receive examination contracts, including from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an institution under the Ministry of Science and Technology, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, even after being blacklisted by UP authorities, Edutest was engaged to conduct recruitment examinations for the posts of Section Officer and Assistant Section Officer at CSIR, amid fresh allegations of malpractice.

Further raising eyebrows are the company’s political affiliations. Edutest’s founding director, Sureshchandra Arya, is the president of the Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, a Hindu organisation with close ties to the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. Arya has been seen sharing platforms with several senior BJP leaders.

In 2018, during the International Arya Maha Sammelan hosted by the Sabha, President Ram Nath Kovind and prominent BJP leaders were in attendance, with Arya delivering the welcome address.

Critics argue that Home Minister Amit Shah’s praise of the recruitment drive fails to acknowledge the troubling history surrounding the process, including the repeated involvement of a controversial agency, past paper leaks, and the distress caused to lakhs of aspirants. 

While the distribution of appointment letters marks the culmination of a long process, the lingering doubts over fairness and transparency remain unresolved.