Amid Aadhaar Scam Fallout In Police Constable Recruitment Scam; Only 50% Recruits Join Training, What About Others?

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Only half of the 6,420 candidates who cleared the Police Constable Recruitment Exam-2023 have joined the training so far, officials said on Wednesday. While some are in the process of joining, a few appear to have had a change of heart—many reportedly selected in other government exams are now reconsidering their decision to join the police force.

The recruitment process had earlier come under the scanner due to widespread irregularities involving Aadhaar biometric manipulation and impersonation during the written examination. So far, 30 FIRs have been registered in connection with the scam.

Following the controversy, the administration introduced multiple filters to ensure only genuine candidates receive appointment letters. Officials informed Free Press that around 4,900 appointment letters have been issued, but nearly 900 candidates have yet to submit their character certificates.

A considerable number of selected candidates are still undecided about joining the force, citing their success in other competitive exams. Meanwhile, the police administration has not yet formulated any strategy to identify why such a large chunk of selected candidates have not turned up for training.

Notably, six lakh aspirants appeared for the constable exam, out of which only 6,420 were selected. Among them, nearly 1,000 candidates are suspected of having cleared the exam using impersonators, though PHQ officials remain tight-lipped on the matter.

Medical board hurdles

Many candidates who cleared the written exam failed the medical tests conducted by the district medical boards. These candidates are awaiting a second chance to appear before the divisional medical boards. Recently, around 10 candidates from Bhopal approached the PHQ, claiming they were disqualified by the district board and that the divisional board had not yet been constituted. However, several divisional medical boards have now been formed and are addressing such complaints.

3,090 candidates begin training

ADG, training Raja Babu Singh told Free Press that of the 4,274 candidates scheduled to begin training by July 21, only 3,090 have reported—accounting for 72% of the total. Among them are 1,005 women and 2,085 men.