‘Pandit’ among answer choices for ‘opportunist’ in Uttar Pradesh police exam ...
A question on the Uttar Pradesh Police recruitment exam has caused a stir because the word “Pandit” was one of the answer choices for a question asking for the Hindu word for “a person who changes according to opportunity.” The problem came up during the written test for hiring sub-inspectors and other similar positions on March 14.The candidates were asked to choose the right one-word term for someone who changes their behaviour based on the situation. As per a report by The Indian Express, Sadachari, Pandit, Avsarvadi, and Nishkapat were some of the options. The correct answer means “opportunist,” but the fact that “Pandit” was one of the options drew objections and quickly caught the attention of political leaders and officials.
All about the controversial question
The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) put the question in the General Hindi section of the paper. The first shift candidates got a 26-page question paper that was divided into four parts: language, law and the constitution, number and reasoning.
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Soon after the test, some people were worried about the fact that “Pandit” was one of the answer choices. They said that it could hurt the feelings of the Brahman community.
What has the government said about this?
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said in response to the controversy that the government had taken the matter very seriously and ordered an investigation. Pathak wrote on X that the choices given in the question had caused a lot of problems.
“The government is paying close attention to the issue. Pathak said, “If any question hurts the dignity of any society or community, it is absolutely unacceptable.” He also stated that strict action would be taken against those responsible after the investigation.
Why did the question trigger political reactions?
The BJP state secretary, Abhijat Mishra wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking him to take action against the people who made the question paper. Mishra said that the phrase’s true meaning was that of an opportunist, so including “Pandit” as an option was not right.
“Pandit” is a word that means having knowledge and showing respect for religion. Mishra said, “Connecting it to opportunism hurts the feelings of a certain group,” as quoted by PTI.
The hiring board later said an investigation had been ordered and that the responsible party would be found.
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Opposition leaders have also spoken on the issue. Anshu Awasthi, a spokesperson for Congress, slammed the state government and questioned its intent. In video remarks reposted on X by Awasthi, he said, “What do you hate the Brahmin community so much?” He also alleged that the state government was targeting Brahmins and engaging in politics of hatred against the community.
The recruitment board made it clear that the question papers for these tests are made by confidential organizations and are only opened in the exam halls for the first time to maintain secrecy.
The authorities have said that the right steps will be taken once the investigation is over.
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