SSC exam hopefuls overrun Delhi streets: 'Cattle below, exams above' incites countrywide outrage

Widespread protests broke out in India on Thursday when SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exam hopefuls marched to the streets in a "Delhi Chalo" movement, as reported by The Hindu, to assemble at Jantar Mantar demanding explanations for what they referred to as systematic mismanagement of their recruitment test.

The continuing exam, which began on July 24 and continues until August 1, has seen many problems, with students fuming over claimed administrative shortcomings, technical failures, and what protesters termed overzealous police tactics against peaceful demonstrators.

Candidates have expressed grave complaints regarding the exam centres being as far away as 500 kilometers from their homes, then showing up only to find last-minute cancellations. One particularly vivid accusation saw protesters referring to venues where cattle heads were stored on the ground floor while students tried conducting their exams on higher floors.

The use of bouncers at examination centers has especially infuriated the students, who wonder why security staff usually deployed for crowd management were found at learning facilities where candidates were only looking for improved examination conditions.

There have been technical problems that have marred the examination process, including mass reporting of server crashes, unresponsive computer systems, and faulty equipment. Activists uncovered that SSC authorities admitted to receiving more than 55,000 complaints about the ongoing exam in recent meetings.

With three lakh students taking the present exam and 55,000 registered grievances, the forthcoming SSC-CGL exam on August 13 expecting 30 lakh aspirants and the capacity of the system to manage such numbers have been a point of concern.

Other students have even questioned the process of selecting the vendor, arguing that the government seems to have been giving a very compromised tender whereby the company that was supposed to undertake the entire exercise has an appalling record to boot.

The financial and psychological burden on the aspirants has been immense, with many investing thousands of rupees traveling to distant centers only to be told of cancellations with no indication of rescheduling, leading to lost preparation time and resources.

Social media has maximized the voices of the students, with hashtags such as #SSC_System_Sudharo, #SSCMisManagement, and #SSCVendorFailure trending on X, a social media website, garnering support from all over the country.

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has come out in support of the protesters, with president Varun Choudhary participating in the rally and claiming that the police launched lathi charges against calmly protesting students.