Himachal Police’s B-1 promotion exam cancelled amid technical issues

The Himachal Pradesh Police’s B-1 Test, scheduled to be held on Sunday, was abruptly cancelled due to multiple technical glitches that occurred at various examination centres, leaving the candidates disappointed.

The exam was being conducted for the promotion of 4,461 police constables across the state. It was scheduled to take place in two shifts — morning and evening sessions. The examination was being conducted online at various designated centres under the supervision of the respective District Superintendents of Police (DSPs). Around 2,696 candidates were scheduled to appear in the morning session while as many as 1,765 candidates were scheduled to appear in the evening. However, as soon as the exam commenced, several candidates experienced technical issues.

As candidates logged in, numerous complaints began to pour in about severe technical issues, stating that they were facing problems in submitting their answers. As the problem persisted, the police department then decided to cancel the exam.

Later, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Tewari issued an official statement confirming the cancellation. He cited “technical issues encountered during the online examination” as the reason behind the decision, emphasising that it was taken to preserve the fairness, transparency, and uniformity of the process.

“To ensure smooth conduct, the examination was planned in two shifts. The Himachal Pradesh Police sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to all participating candidates,” Tewari stated. He further assured that a fresh date for the examination would be announced soon, once all technical shortcomings are resolved.

The DGP urged candidates to stay connected with their respective district police offices and monitor the official communication channels of the department for verified updates.

Meanwhile, the incident has triggered political backlash. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur lashed out at the state government, accusing it of incompetence and poor planning.

“Candidates were made to sit for six hours, yet officials failed to resolve the technical glitches. In some centres, candidates were unable to submit their answers, while in others, the questions had incorrect answer options. At several centres, the main server was not connected while there were major differences in the number of questions and even in the duration of the exam, despite it being conducted simultaneously. The entire examination was marked by confusion and chaos. Once the situation became public and candidates protested on a large scale, the administration hastily decided to cancel the exam,” he said.