The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has announced a special re-examination for nearly 59,000 candidates affected by technical glitches during the Selection Post Phase 13 exam. The re-exam will be held in three shifts on August 29, 2025. The announcement comes just a day after a large protest by SSC aspirants in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, which was sparked by widespread exam irregularities.
Protests and Police Action
Hundreds of SSC aspirants and teachers gathered at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, August 24, to protest issues such as technical failures, system crashes, and mismanagement during the exams held between July 24 and August 2. The protest turned chaotic, with students alleging police brutality and a “lathicharge.” A senior Delhi Police official, however, denied the use of force, stating that the protest exceeded its permitted time and that police personnel were injured by aggressive protestors. Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, condemned the police’s actions.
SSC’s Response and New Exam Agency
In a press conference, SSC chairman S. Gopalakrishnan addressed the concerns, stating that technical and operational issues are being resolved. He acknowledged that around 59,000 candidates were affected and would be given a retest to ensure fairness. The chairman also announced that the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam, originally scheduled for August 13, has been postponed to mid-September to improve operational matters.
Gopalakrishnan attributed the issues to the new exam conducting agency, Eduquity, which won the contract by bidding lower than the previous agency, TCS. He said the commission is now working with multiple agencies to conduct the exams, a change from the previous system where one single entity handled all aspects. He also alleged that the protests were partly driven by coaching institutes facing “business losses” due to changes in the exam pattern.
Efforts to Improve the Process
The SSC chairman stated that the commission is taking steps to prevent future disruptions. He mentioned that Aadhaar card numbers are now being used for the first time for one-time registration and venue authentication to curb impersonation. He also said that while the new vendor initially had fewer centers, they are now working to increase them so that candidates do not have to travel long distances for their exams. He concluded by saying that strict penalties would be imposed on vendors for any future lapses.