Police promotional exam called off after major system failures

The Himachal Pradesh Police’s B-1 promotional examination, scheduled to be held on Sunday, was abruptly cancelled following widespread technical glitches that crippled the online system across several centres. The sudden cancellation has left thousands of police constables, who had been preparing for months, visibly disheartened.

The exam was meant to determine promotions for 4,461 constables and was to be conducted in two online shifts, a morning and an evening session, under the supervision of respective District Superintendents of Police (DSPs). Around 2,696 candidates were slated to appear in the morning and 1,765 in the evening. However, the process came apart soon after the test began.

As candidates logged in, numerous complaints began to pour in about technical issues. Several examinees reported that they were unable to submit their answers, while others claimed their question papers contained incorrect options or displayed mismatched data. Despite repeated attempts to rectify the glitches, the problems persisted, forcing the department to call off the examination entirely.

Later in the day, 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. “Conducting such a large-scale online exam without adequate technical preparedness raises serious questions about the government’s efficiency,” he said.

Thakur alleged that at some centres, the main server failed to connect, while at others, question counts and test durations differed despite the synchronised schedule. “Candidates were made to sit for hours amid complete chaos. Only after protests broke out did the administration scramble to cancel the test,” he remarked.

For now, the police department faces the dual challenge of restoring faith among its personnel and ensuring that the re-examination proceeds without a hitch.