Uttar Pradesh Amends Public Service Commission Act to Strengthen Examination Procedures

The Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2025, an amendment to the Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) Act, 1985, was enacted to introduce significant changes to the process of setting and printing question papers for examinations conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission. The legislation, which received the Governor's assent on August 21, 2025, and was published in the Official Gazette on the same day, is deemed to have come into force retrospectively from June 3, 2025. This Act primarily substitutes Section 10 of the principal Act, laying down a more stringent and multi-layered procedure for ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of examination materials. The changes directly impact the operational protocols of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, its examination department, and the various individuals involved in the question paper preparation and printing process, including paper setters, moderators, and printing presses.

The legislative intent behind the Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2025, was to enhance the efficiency, fairness, and quality of examinations conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, Prayagraj. The earlier statutory framework, specifically the Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) Act, 1985, was found to have limitations regarding the robustness of its question paper preparation and printing mechanisms. The amendment sought to address these gaps by introducing a more secure and diversified system. The legislation provided: “In order to conduct the examinations conducted by The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, Prayagraj more efficiently, error-free, fairly and with quality, it was decided to amend Section 10 of the aforesaid Act to provide for preparation of 04 question paper sets instead of 03 question paper sets by reputed subject experts and moderators with accuracy and for printing two sets of question papers instead of 01 question paper from different printing press.”

Under the amended Section 10, new obligations are established: every question paper must now be set by four different paper setters, who are required not to belong to the same geographical location, thereby diversifying the source of questions and reducing potential collusion. These sealed question papers are to be held in the custody of the Controller of Examinations (the official responsible for overseeing examinations). Subsequently, the sealed envelopes containing question papers received from the four paper setters are handed to concerned Moderators (experts who review and refine the papers) against a receipt. The Moderators are tasked with moderating all four papers, placing them in separate sealed covers under their seal, without any identifying marks, and returning them to the Controller of Examinations or their nominee. A crucial enforcement mechanism is introduced where the Controller of Examinations selects any two moderated question papers from a subject, without opening their sealed covers, and dispatches them to two different printing presses. These presses are then made responsible for printing the question papers, including proof-reading, and for preparing sealed packets of question papers in different colours or confidential codes for all examination centres, based on information provided by the Controller. The Act explicitly mandates that the printing presses maintain the secrecy of the question papers, with the Controller of Examinations empowered to issue necessary directions and take precautions to ensure this confidentiality. This comprehensive overhaul aims to mitigate risks associated with paper leaks and ensure a more transparent and equitable examination process. This Act replaced the Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which had been promulgated by the Governor on June 3, 2025, when the State Legislature was not in session, to implement these urgent legislative changes.

Keywords: Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, UPPSC, Amendment Act, Examination Reform, Question Paper Secrecy, Regulation of Procedure, 2025 Legislation, State Civil Services, Exam Integrity Geo Tags: India, Uttar Pradesh District: Not Applicable