The Himachal Pradesh Police B-1 Test, which was supposed to take place yesterday, Sunday, October 26, was abruptly cancelled due to severe technical issues at various test centres.

The exam was being held for the promotion of 4,461 police constables throughout the state in two shifts: morning and evening sessions. 

The exam was administered online at various authorised locations under the supervision of the District Superintendents of Police (DSP). 

Approximately 2,696 candidates were slated to appear in the morning session, with up to 1,765 expected to appear in the evening. However, as soon as the exam began, candidates started to report technical issues.

As applicants signed in, they began to complain about serious technical challenges, claiming that they were having trouble submitting their responses. As the difficulty persisted, the police department decided to cancel the examination, The Tribune reported.

Later, Ashok Tewari, Director General of Police, made an official statement confirming the cancellation. He stated, "Technical issues encountered during the online examination” as the reason behind the decision, emphasising that it was taken to preserve the fairness, transparency, and uniformity of the process."

He further assured that a fresh date for the examination would be announced soon, once all technical shortcomings are resolved.

The DGP requested candidates to maintain contact with their individual district police offices and check the department's official communication channels for verified updates.

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked a political backlash. Jai Ram Thakur, the Leader of the Opposition, criticised the state government, accusing it of incompetence and poor planning.