Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) on Saturday concluded the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET)-2026, recording a 68.79% attendance across three examination days held on Oct 25, Oct 30 and Nov 1.Of the 35.41 lakh candidates who registered for the state’s largest recruitment screening examination, 24.36 lakh appeared at 1,372 centres spread across 60 districts. The examination was conducted in six shifts over three days.The state govt said the exam concluded peacefully under a multi-layered security and surveillance framework aimed at preventing impersonation, cheating and other irregularities.For the first time on such a scale, AI-based facial recognition, Aadhaar authentication and biometric verification were used to verify candidates. Photographs and iris scans of candidates were also captured during the process.Surveillance was carried out through 31,602 CCTV cameras linked to a central command centre at the commission headquarters and district-level monitoring hubs. Nearly 94,000 personnel, along with 2,744 sector and static magistrates, were deployed for smooth conduct of the examination.To curb unfair means, signal jammers were installed at centres in 20 districts, while candidates underwent mandatory frisking before entry. Mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, smartwatches and other electronic gadgets were prohibited inside examination halls.The commission said AI-based facial matching flagged 67 candidates as suspicious for further scrutiny. Two FIRs were registered during the examination period. In the latest case, an FIR was lodged in Mainpuri on Nov 1 after a Bluetooth device was recovered from a candidate.Authorities also operated special transport services, traffic management plans and district-level helplines to facilitate the movement of candidates and ensure hassle-free conduct of the examination.
