Patwari exam to be a litmus test for Rajasthan police, personnel pull up socks

JAIPUR: After burning their fingers in REET, where papers had allegedly reached some accused before the exam, Rajasthan police on Friday claimed that adequate security arrangements have been made for the patwari exam that will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
Armed police units will be deployed to guard questions papers. Police staff will be posted at examination centres to check students.
Additional DG, law and order, Saurabh Shrivastava said that police will also be stationed at important locations to manage traffic and law and order on Saturday and Sunday.
Police said in a statement that police headquarters (PHQ) issued special instructions to prevent cheating during the exam. Special Operations Group (SOG) and district police have been told to keep a close eye on the matter.
Police said that district police have been told to take strict action against anti-social elements who create chaos and disorder. PHQ has also ordered constant vigilance at bus stands, railway stations, highways, market roads, eateries etc.
Besides security and traffic arrangements, police officials admitted that cheating gangs remain a spot of worry. A senior official told TOI on condition of anonymity, that district SPs were told to keep a close watch over suspects who dupe students by promising to field dummy candidates.
“The foremost aim is to maintain the sanctity of the exam. Therefore, suspects promising question papers and dummy candidates are all under our scanner,” the official said.
More than 15 lakh students are expected to appear in the patwari recruitment exam at over 1,000 centres in the state. The intensified security measures for the patwari exam are attributed to the controversies that erupted soon after REET, when the paper had allegedly reached the accused before the exam on September 26. What had especially embarrassed the senior officials was the alleged involvement of constables in the cheating case.
To avert a repeat of the REET fiasco, senior police officials and SPs were holding meetings all through the day to brief their subordinates about their duties.
“All arrangements are in place, from manning traffic to checking students at examination centres, police bandobast is adequate to meet any challenge,” an official claimed.
While police have assured foolproof security arrangements, the patwari exam for two days will be a litmus test for Rajasthan police.