Five days after appointing former State Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar as chairperson of Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), the BJP government on Tuesday tabled a Bill proposing amendments in the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission Act, 2023, by relaxing the eligibility criteria for the selection of its chairperson.
The Bill, which was passed by the Assembly, will replace the ordinance – Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 – that was promulgated by Governor Anandiben Patel in November.
Tabling the Bill in the Assembly, the government cited the need for an “experienced personality” considering the “vast work structure” and “modernisation of examination” for amending the eligibility criteria of the chairperson. The Opposition, however, alleged that the amendments were being made to the law “to accommodate one individual” and demanded that the Bill be sent to a Select Committee for discussion.
Listing the “objects and reasons” for amending the law, Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyaya told the Assembly, “The UPESSC has been constituted to conduct examinations in a transparent and fair manner for various departments like the Higher Education Department, Secondary Education Department, Basic Education Department, etc. In view of the vast work structure of the Commission, the modernisation of examination processes in the era of modern information technology, and the need for a skilled and experienced personality for conducting fair, transparent, and time-bound examinations with integrity, it was decided to expand the eligibility criteria for selection to the post of Chairman by amending section 4 of the Act.”
“Since the state Legislature was not in session and immediate legislative action was necessary, the UPESSC (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated by the Governor on November 18. Therefore, the Bill has now been introduced to replace the ordinance,” the minister said.
In the existing Act, under section 4, the eligibility criteria for the chairperson is listed as – he or she is or has been a member of the Indian Administrative Service and has held the post of Principal Secretary or equivalent in the State Government; is or has been a vice-chancellor of any university established by law; is or has been a professor of any university for at least 10 years and has at least three years of administrative experience.
However, the amendment bill proposed that in sub-section (2) of Section 4 of the UPESSC Act, 2023, for clause (a), the following clause shall be substituted, i.e. “(a) is holding or has held the post of Principal Secretary to the State Government or a post equivalent thereto; or” thereby removing the criteria of eligible person to be current or former member of Indian Administrative Services and would only include eligibility of a person either holding or has held the post of Principal Secretary of the Government or a post equivalent.
As soon as the Bill was tabled in the Assembly, the Leader of the Opposition, Mata Prasad Pandey, demanded that the Bill be sent to a select committee for further review. “Mr Minister, why are you not directly admitting that this is being brought for one individual. You are bringing the amendment just to appoint a former DGP as the chairman. You could have said it directly rather than beating around the bush,” the Samajwadi Party leader said.
“This post is equivalent to the Principal Secretary and not that of the DGP. The post requires an educationist and not an encounter specialist,” Pandey said, referring to former DGP Prashant Kumar’s record of police encounters.
“This post requires an educationist who can handle all the branches of education properly… You have brought this amendment for one individual. Was no one else left? Why is the level of education being brought down… This post requires an educationist, professor, or a vice-chancellor… All we want is that the Bill be sent to the select committee for scrutiny and let the report come,” said Pandey.
Congress MLA Aradhana Mishra said the Bill cited that the amendment is being brought to ensure “transparent and fair” examination. “Does this mean that the government has admitted that it took eight years for them to understand that there is a need for a fair and transparent system.. We have no issues that they are doing it for one person, but all we want is that it is sent to the select committee for scrutiny,” she said.
Responding to the Opposition’s charge, the minister said, “I want to make it clear that this amendment is not being brought for one individual.. It could have been any person. Other provisions will remain as they are… It is just that some provisions have been added for administrative purposes. That is all.”
The UP Rural Population Records Bill was tabled and passed in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. The law aims to provide permanent legal backing to rural residential property records prepared under the Centre’s SVAMITVA Scheme. The Bill seeks to create a statutory framework for the management, protection, and regular updating of rural population property records generated through drone-based surveys.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday said that the wages of MGNREGA workers will now be paid within seven days instead of 15 and the guaranteed number of work days will be increased from 100 to 125. Replying during the Question Hour in the state Assembly, Minister of State for Rural Development Vijay Lakshmi Gautam said the daily wage under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Uttar Pradesh has been fixed at Rs 252 as per a notification issued by the central government. She said that since the determination of wage rates is done by the Centre, any increase in wages is not expected from the state government. Responding to a question by Samajwadi Party member Anil Pradhan, Gautam said MGNREGA workers in the state are being paid wages at the rate of Rs 252 per day as fixed by the Centre for Uttar Pradesh. On Pradhan’s demand to raise the minimum daily wage to Rs 700 in view of rising inflation and to increase the annual employment guarantee to 300 days, the minister said both wage fixation and the maximum number of work days fall under the purview of the central government. During a supplementary question, Pradhan said the MGNREGA scheme helps economically weaker sections become self-reliant and alleged that the Centre has changed its guidelines, under which it earlier bore the full payment. He also alleged that around Rs 200 crore in wages was pending for workers in Uttar Pradesh and questioned how labourers could manage their livelihoods amid rising prices. He further asked why payments were allegedly delayed despite the government’s claims of technological advancement. In her reply, Gautam said the state government has ensured that payments will now be made within seven days instead of 15. Referring to the renaming of the scheme, the minister, without naming the Congress, said that before 2009 it was known as NREGA and the name was changed to include Mahatma Gandhi later.