Over 17,000 Candidates Take UP PET Across 22 Centres on Day 3

New Delhi, November 1: On the third day of the UP PET examination, more than 17,000 candidates appeared across 22 centres in Uttar Pradesh. The test was held in two shifts with strict security measures in place.

Candidates ranged from young graduates to a 50-year-old former soldier, showing how widely the examination is being sought after.

Khushboo, who came from Etawah, said she has a BSc degree and had been preparing for a year. It is her first time sitting for this test.

Saurav, appearing for the second time, said he had scored 319 in his earlier attempt, a result he found disappointing.

Former soldier Mukesh Pal Singh said he had been preparing for one or two months. He served in the Indian Army for 28 years and retired as an honorary Subedar Major. He is 50 years old and said that retirement age has not come for him yet, as he still wants to work for another 10 to 15 years.

He said he had once been selected as a Lekhpal in July 1996, but a call from the army arrived soon after, and he chose that path because he found it more appealing.

Gunjan Saxena, taking the examination for the first time, said she has completed her graduation and aims to become a Lekhpal or enter the banking sector. She started preparing last year.

The preliminary qualifying examination, organised by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission, is compulsory for Group C recruitment drives. Candidates who clear it on the basis of their score become eligible for the main examination for Lekhpal, clerk, junior assistant and other posts. This is one reason for the record number of young applicants this year.

CCTV surveillance, biometric verification and sector magistrate deployment have been arranged at the examination centres to help ensure a transparent and cheating-free test.