The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has resolved to defend the Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Recruitment Examination-2023 in the Allahabad High Court following an interim stay on the joining of selected candidates. The stay was imposed due to objections related to reservation and migration rules.
Commission's Stance on Reservation Compliance
The commission stated that the final selection process adhered strictly to reservation policies and established recruitment rules. It highlighted that candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category secured nearly 42% representation in the final result. According to UPPSC, a total of 419 candidates were selected in the final result declared on April 5, 2026. Among them, 176 candidates belonged to the OBC category, accounting for approximately 42% of total selections. In comparison, candidates from the general category constituted 28.16% of the final list.
UPPSC Secretary Girijesh Tyagi emphasized that the recruitment process reflected a balance between merit and social justice, conducted under the provisions of the 1994 and 1986 recruitment rules as well as conditions mentioned in the advertisement.
Three-Stage Recruitment Process
The commission clarified that the RO-ARO examination followed a three-stage system: preliminary examination, main examination, typing test, and interview. Officials noted that the preliminary examination was only a screening or suitability test, and its marks were not included in the final merit list. The commission argued that reservation determination is made only at the stage of final selection, not during the preliminary screening phase.
Impact of Interim Stay
UPPSC officials revealed that more than a dozen selected candidates had already joined before the interim stay order came into effect. The commission has now begun studying Supreme Court observations and interim orders passed in a similar matter related to the Haryana Public Service Commission. Officials said the apex court had earlier indicated that the issue of applying reservation at the preliminary examination stage required detailed legal examination.
Tyagi stated that the commission would place these legal principles before the high court while defending the recruitment process. He added that the commission was committed to ensuring that selected candidates do not suffer unnecessary hardship due to ongoing litigation.
Transparency and Inclusiveness
Officials asserted that the entire RO-ARO selection process was transparent, rule-based, and constitutionally compliant. They emphasized that the strong representation of OBC candidates in the final list itself demonstrated the inclusiveness of the recruitment exercise.
