After paper leak row, UKSSSC plans strict exam reforms: 5G jammers, biometric checks and more

Shaken by serious allegations of a paper leak in its recent recruitment exam, the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) is preparing for a complete overhaul of its examination system.

Officials told The Indian Express that new security measures, ranging from pat-downs before and after toilet breaks to installing mobile jammers inside washrooms, will soon be rolled out to plug loopholes and prevent future leaks.

The first casualty of the controversy is the October 5 recruitment exam for cooperative inspector and assistant development officer posts. Originally scheduled across 16 schools in Haldwani and Dehradun for nearly 10,000 applicants, the exam has now been postponed indefinitely. An official order confirming the deferment was issued on October 1.

“The decision was taken after consulting with candidates,” Commission Chairperson Ganesh Singh Martolia said, adding that the exam was meant to fill 45 vacancies.

Paper leak

Trouble began when three pages of the September 21 graduate-level exam paper surfaced from a Haridwar centre. Soon after, protests erupted across Uttarakhand, with candidates demanding strict action.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered a CBI probe, and police arrested two people, a candidate and his sister. 

Investigators allege the candidate smuggled an iPhone into the exam hall, clicked images of the paper, and sent them to his sister, who in turn relayed answers back to him.

New rules: biometric checks, washroom frisking, and 5G jammers

In response, UKSSSC has decided to revamp its exam protocol from the ground up.

• Centres limited to govt institutions: “We will prefer government schools and colleges and will audit their premises. If government schools fall short, we’ll consider aided institutions. Private schools will be our last resort,” Martolia said.
  
  

• Biometric verification: Candidates, invigilators, and observers will be verified at centres. Unnecessary staff movement will be curbed.
  
  

• Police deployment: Grounds will be combed a day before exams, and officers will remain stationed round the clock. A mock drill of security equipment will be held ahead of time.
  
  

• Signal jamming: UKSSSC has sought help from the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) to deploy high-tech jammers that block even 5G signals. These will now extend into washrooms.
  
  

• Toilet checks: Candidates will be frisked before and after washroom use—a move prompted by the last leak, where the accused had allegedly used a washroom to circulate the paper.
  
  

Restoring trust amid high stakes

The Commission now faces the uphill task of regaining candidates’ trust. Dehradun, a hub for coaching centres, draws thousands of aspirants each year. 

For the September 21 exam alone, over 40,000 candidates appeared in the city across 121 centres for 416 vacancies.

The stakes are high, and UKSSSC’s new security blueprint will be closely watched by both candidates and policymakers, as exam integrity remains a burning issue in the state.