Students participate in a candle march and stage a demonstration over alleged exam paper leaks and examination irregularities in the Neet UG-2026 examination and Lekhpal recruitment process, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Friday, May 29, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Candidates appearing for various recruitment exams in Prayagraj accused the State authorities on Sunday (May 31, 2026) of attempting to suppress a movement pushing for transparency. The Sanyukt Pratiyogi Chhatra Hunkar Manch, a students’ collective, alleged that irregularities are rampant in recruitment examinations and threatened to hold a protest in Lucknow on June 12 if their grievances are not addressed by the Uttar Pradesh government.“Three coaching centres have been closed by local authorities for alleged violations of building safety norms, simply because they believe these centres support our movement. The aim is to suppress our struggle for transparency,” said Pankaj Pandey, convenor of the Sanyukt Pratiyogi Chhatra Hunkar Manch.“We have raised concerns over irregularities, paper leaks, mismanagement at examination centres and lack of transparency in the recruitment processes in various State level competitive examinations including Lekhpal, and UP Sub-Inspector. Through the Hunkar Manch we have demanded that all the allegations be investigated. An independent high-level inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the Lekhpal main examination is a must especially since videos showing students being given extra time at three centres have gone viral. We demand that the main examination for Lekhpal be held again and also call for the early release of the scorecard of the UP (SI) examination. The government has been unsuccessful in conducting many recruitment and eligibility tests; therefore, we want the recruitment examination calendar to be followed fully,” added Mr. Pandey.
