UPPSC Protest:-These channels shared misinformation with the intention of provoking protesters and disrupting law and order, know the whole matter? 
UPPSC Protest:-During the recent massive protest of students outside the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), four Telegram channels have been accused of spreading false and misleading information and inciting students. An FIR has been registered in this case at Civil Lines Police Station, Allahabad.
What is the whole matter?
This protest started on November 11, when the UPPSC decided to conduct the Provincial Civil Service (PCS), Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) examinations on different days. The students expressed their displeasure over this decision and demanded that all these examinations be conducted on the same day.
The students said that conducting examinations on different days could affect fairness and transparency. Against this decision, students gathered in large numbers outside the UPPSC office and started protesting.
What is the allegation on the Telegram channels?
During the protest, four Telegram channels—PCM Abhyas, General Studies Edushala, Make IAS, and PCS Manthan—were accused of sharing false and misleading information. The complaint states that these channels spread rumours that further infuriated the students and tried to disrupt law and order.
The complainant, Krishna Murari Chaurasia, who is in-charge of the UPPSC police outpost, has also provided screenshots of these channels as evidence against them. The police have registered an FIR against these channels under Section 318 (4) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act.
What happened during the protest?
A large number of students participated in the protest that lasted for four days. Talks were also held between UPPSC officials and students during the protest. Eventually, the commission accepted the students’ demand and announced that:
The PCS preliminary exam will be held on a single day as per the old pattern.
The RO-ARO exam has been postponed for now.
A committee will be formed to ensure transparency and fairness in the RO-ARO exam.
After this decision of the commission, the protesting students ended their protest. With this, UPPSC announced that the PCS preliminary examination will be held on 22 December 2024 in two shifts.
What will happen in the future?
This incident has once again raised questions about transparency and administrative decisions in UPPSC examinations. The police is now investigating the role of these Telegram channels, and it will be seen how concrete the allegations of spreading false information are.
Students’ expectations
Students hope that UPPSC will make the examination process more transparent and avoid such controversies in future. At the same time, action on Telegram channels will ensure that social media platforms are not misused.
This development once again shows how social media can affect the movement in the digital age, and how vigilant the administration should be to handle it.
