'Vendor Lacks Infrastructure': SSC aspirants protest at Ramlila Maidan, demand exam reforms

Large groups of students and teachers gathered at Ramlila Maidan today to demand reforms in the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruitment exams. The demonstration, held under the “Chatra Maha Andolan”, brought together aspirants affected by issues in multiple exams conducted by the SSC.

The ongoing protest reflects persistent issues in the SSC exam process, which has been repeatedly plagued by delays, technical problems, and poor management. Many candidates said these problems have created financial and academic difficulties, particularly for students from rural areas and low-income families, who often have to travel far to reach exam centres.

Many aspirants said the new vendor tasked with conducting the exam lacked the infrastructure to manage large-scale recruitment tests, leading to chaos and loss of opportunities for lakhs of students.

Why is the protest happening?

The protest is being held to demand reforms in SSC exams and address issues related to delays, technical glitches, and poor management. Speaking to Careers360, Ajay Beniwal, a teacher, said aspirants from rural and poor backgrounds are the worst affected.

“Most students preparing for SSC are children of farmers or labourers who borrow money to pay coaching fees. They study 12 to 18 hours a day, often without electricity. Yet, on exam day, they are given centres 200 to 400 kilometres away, sometimes in unhygienic conditions.”

Beniwal further alleged that the vendor had already been blacklisted in multiple states. “SSC should immediately cancel or postpone the upcoming CGL and CHSL exams scheduled in September till the vendor is replaced.” He further said that even in the stenographer exam , where mathematics is not part of the syllabus, questions were asked from mathematics. This shows how poorly the exams were handled.

Concerns raised over new SSC exam vendor

Amit Kumar, an aspirant from Bihar who travelled overnight by train to join the protest, also shared his concerns. He said that during his Phase 13 exam on July 26 in Patna, the biometric system was not working, Aadhaar verification failed, and the exam started with technical glitches.

“How are candidates supposed to provide proof of such issues when mobile phones are not even allowed inside exam halls? Yet, the Commission asks for evidence,” he said.

Candidates also highlighted concerns over the new vendor, Eduquity Career Technologies, replacing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for SSC exams. Many claim that the vendor lacks infrastructure to manage large-scale recruitment tests, alleging mismanagement and potential malpractice in exam centres.

Protesters demand vendor change

The demonstrators demanded that SSC hand over exam responsibilities to experienced agencies, which have a record of conducting national-level examinations without major disruptions. They warned that if the vendor is not replaced and systemic reforms are not introduced, the protest will intensify during the upcoming SSC CGL recruitment.

Despite the scale of the protest, candidates said no government representative had met them so far. Aspirants maintain that they will continue the agitation until concrete action is taken.

SSC Phase 13 exam controversies

The SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exam , conducted from July 24, was cancelled at multiple centres due to technical and administrative issues. Candidates reported being assigned centres hundreds of kilometres from their hometowns, creating logistical and financial burdens.

The Phase 13 Selection Post re-exam was conducted on August 2 in three shifts for around 8,000 candidates after previous inconsistencies were noted. Following repeated disruptions in the Phase 13 SSC Selection Post exam, candidates organised the “Delhi Chalo” protest to press for reforms. In response to this, SSC announced to conduct a re-test for SSC Phase 13 on August 29 for 55,000 affected candidates.