Candidates appearing for the UP PET 2026 exam are facing difficulties due to allotment of far-flung centres. Siddharth Singh of Jaunpur will have to travel 520 km to Mainpuri to take the exam, while the center for Mohammad Rehman of Prayagraj has been set up at Ghaziabad, 650 km away. Candidates say they now have to make travel, ticket and accommodation arrangements while preparing for the exam.
According to media reports, many students are demanding a change of centre. At the same time, the commission says that under the computer-based system, examination centers are allotted according to the available centers and the number of candidates.
Worry about travel fatigue and rising costs
Himanshu Pandey’s Pratapgarh center has been built in Firozabad, 470 km away. He says he used to study 18 hours a day, but now he worries about traveling overnight. According to him, taking the exam after a long journey can be difficult.
At the same time, RK Maurya of Pilibhit has to go to Bijnor, 240 kilometers away. He says that it takes about five hours to reach the train. After this, arrangements have to be made to reach the examination center.
According to candidates, a student’s expenses on travel, food and accommodation can reach around Rs 2,000. Female candidates may have to accompany their family members for security reasons. In such a situation, the total cost for two people is estimated to be Rs 3,500 to 4,000. Due to which the problem of financially weak families has increased.
Difficulty due to non-receipt of confirmed ticket
Getting confirmed tickets to reach distant cities is also becoming a challenge as there is less time left for the exam. Many candidates may have to travel by changing buses or trains. In such a case, they have to prepare to reach the exam city a day in advance. The question of the candidates is that PET is the initial screening test, based on which there is an opportunity to apply for further recruitment. In such a situation, why are they being sent so far to take the exam?
The chairman of the commission explained the reason for the allocation of the centre
According to Commission Chairman Satyanarayan Sabat, Uttar Pradesh is a large state and the distance from one end to the other is about 1,100 km. Districts like Jaunpur, Varanasi, Azamgarh and Ballia in Purvanchal have a high number of candidates, while there are limited examination centres. More centers are available in Western UP. So centers are allocated as per requirement. He said that allotment of centers has been done through automation i.e. computer based system. The Commission says that this system has been adopted to prevent cheating in the examination and to conduct the examination of a large number of candidates.
Who found the exam center where?
As per the arrangement given by the commission, the disabled candidates are given a center in their home district. Centers have been given to women candidates in other cities of the division keeping security in mind. While in other departments, examination centers have been provided to male candidates.
More than 35 lakh candidates applied
Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) PET-2026 exam will be conducted on 25th and 30th October along with 1st November. The exam will be conducted in two shifts daily for three days. This time a total of 35 lakh 41 thousand 296 candidates have applied. 1,372 centers have been set up in 60 districts of the state for the examination.
