india

Updated: Aug 24, 2017 23:58 IST

Applicants taking the constable recruitment test in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday claimed that they were not allowed to appear for the examination as they did not have Aadhaar cards.

This happened the same day the Supreme Court declared privacy a fundamental right while disposing of petitions questioning the validity of the 12-digit Aadhaar number.

As many as nine lakh candidates from across the country applied for the month-long police constable recruitment test for 14,282 posts. It is being conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB), also called Vyapam.

According to sources in Vyapam, about 10,000 students couldn’t take the test on the first day due to technical glitches. Some of them alleged they were denied entry as they didn’t have Aadhaar cards. When applicants offered other identity cards, they were allegedly told that Aadhaar was mandatory. This caused widespread confusion across various centres.

Arun Shukla, 22, a resident of Bhopal who was denied entry to the examination centre at IES College, Bhopal, said: “I have been preparing for this exam for the past two years. Now, they didn’t even give us a chance to take the exam. They just wrote on my admit card — Non Aadhaar— and asked me to leave the centre.”

Applicants who filed their documents for verification online also faced trouble.

Krishnakant from Hisar, Haryana, was denied entry as the officer on verification desk couldn’t access his online documents. “What kind of digitalisation we are talking about? I was denied entry as there was problem in their server. I wasted my time to prepare for this test,” he said. Vyapam authorities, however, blamed a glitch in the authentication software. Confusion over Aadhaar however, continued at exam centres HT visited.

MPPEB examination controller Ashok Singh Bhadoriya said, “Charges regarding manipulations are baseless and unfounded. Aadhaar is not compulsory. Candidates can use any of their identity cards... I have asked the candidates, who couldn’t take the exam, to submit an application. If their case is found genuine, we will give them another chance after September 18.”

RTI activist Ajay Dubey said, “MPPEB has given a contract to a private firm which failed in performing its duty... Same thing happened in the recruitment test of prison guards. If they are not capable enough ...they shouldn’t play with future of youngsters.”