A question asked during the Uttar Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination has triggered a political and social controversy after the word “Pandit” was included among the answer options in the paper. Several leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and representatives of the Brahmin community have objected to the wording of the question and have demanded that the authorities investigate how such a question was included in a competitive examination.
The issue relates to a question in the Hindi language section of the examination. Candidates were asked to identify the word that describes “a person who changes according to circumstances.” The options provided in the question included “sadachari” (virtuous), “pandit”, “avsarvadi” (opportunist) and “nishkapat” (innocent).
The inclusion of the word “pandit” among these options led to objections from several community representatives who argued that the term is traditionally associated with scholarship and respect. According to them, placing the word alongside options that may carry negative connotations was inappropriate and could hurt the sentiments of the Brahmin community.
Several leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party have raised concerns over the wording of the question and have demanded accountability from those responsible for preparing the examination paper.
Abhijat Mishra, a state minister of the party, wrote to Yogi Adityanath raising objections to the question. In his letter, Mishra described the wording as inappropriate and urged the state government to investigate how such a question could appear in a major recruitment examination.
He said the use of the word in this context could hurt the sentiments of a particular community and called for accountability from officials involved in preparing the question paper.
According to party sources, the issue was also discussed at the party’s state office in Lucknow. The meeting reportedly took place in the presence of state president Pankaj Chaudhary. Some party functionaries expressed concern that repeated administrative lapses could negatively affect the party’s public image.
Reacting to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak stated that examinations should not contain any references that undermine the dignity of a community.
He said that if any question or option in an examination hurts the dignity of any society or community, it is unacceptable. He further stated that words or contexts that insult any caste, community or tradition should not have a place in examination papers.
His remarks came amid growing criticism from different sections of society regarding the wording of the question.
Former Deputy Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma also expressed disagreement with the wording of the question.
He said that he personally disagreed with the optional answer used in the question and noted that the government had taken the issue seriously. According to him, an investigation should be conducted so that appropriate action can be taken if any wrongdoing is found.
He emphasised that an examination of such importance should be conducted with careful attention to the wording of questions.
Several representatives of the Brahmin community also voiced strong objections to the question.
Sunil Bharala, founder of the National Parshuram Parishad, alleged that the question appeared to have been framed with malicious intent.
Bharala said that the word “pandit” symbolises knowledge and respect in Indian society and should not be used in a negative context. He alleged that the inclusion of the word in the question paper could be part of a conspiracy and demanded strict action against those responsible for preparing the examination paper.
Another BJP leader, Ramesh Chandra Mishra, who represents Badlapur in Jaunpur district, also wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the issue.
In his letter, Mishra stated that the word “pandit” represents scholarship and honour in Indian society. He said placing the word among negative options in a competitive examination question was inappropriate and should be investigated.
The controversy has also taken a legal dimension. A complaint has been filed at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow regarding the wording of the question.
The complainant, identified as Deepak Sharma, has demanded that an FIR be registered against the individuals responsible for framing the question paper. According to the complaint, the wording of the question appeared to insult the Brahmin community.
Despite the controversy surrounding the question paper, the Uttar Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination was conducted across the state under strict security arrangements.
Candidates appearing for the examination were subjected to multiple layers of security checks before entering the examination centres. Authorities reportedly conducted three levels of verification to ensure transparency and prevent any form of malpractice.
At the same time, authorities also cracked down on a fake question paper racket circulating on social media platforms.
The Special Task Force arrested a suspect from Agra who allegedly edited fake question papers and circulated them on Telegram channels. According to officials, the accused claimed that the papers were genuine and demanded money from aspirants through online payments.
The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board clarified that the viral paper circulating on social media had no connection with the actual examination.
Officials warned that strict legal action would be taken against individuals involved in spreading misinformation about the examination.
According to authorities, seven FIRs have been registered so far in connection with the circulation of fake question papers.
The Sub-Inspector recruitment examination is being conducted for 4,543 posts in the Uttar Pradesh Police. It is considered one of the largest recruitment drives undertaken by the state police department.
For this examination, the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board has established 1,090 examination centres across all 75 districts of the state.
The examination is being conducted over two days and candidates are appearing in two shifts each day.
While the recruitment process is continuing according to schedule, the controversy surrounding the use of the word “pandit” in the question paper has added a political dimension to the recruitment exercise.
The issue has now prompted demands from political leaders and community representatives for a detailed inquiry into the preparation of the examination paper.
