Parties, outfits invoke ‘Brahmin’ angle to ‘pandit’ reference in U.P. police recruitment exam

The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board faced criticism after a question in the written test for sub-inspector (civil police) and equivalent posts sparked controversy. The question asked candidates to choose a term for "a person who changes according to circumstances," with options including "Pandit" (scholar), "Avsarvadi" (opportunist), "Nishkapat" (innocent or sincere), and "Sadachari" (virtuous). The use of the word "Pandit" in this context, which is also used to refer to Brahmins, led to accusations that the question was designed to portray the community in a derogatory way. Political parties, including the Congress party and the Sarv Brahmin Ekta Sabha, condemned the question as discriminatory and disrespectful. The Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak, stated that the government took the issue seriously and would ensure no such remarks are made about any community's dignity or beliefs. The controversy escalated when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued directives to all recruitment board chairpersons, instructing them to prevent disrespectful language towards any individual, caste, sect, or religious community. He also directed that paper setters be blacklisted for using such language and included this provision in the MoU with paper setters. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the incident, emphasizing that those engaging in divisive tactics would face legal consequences. The BJP asserted that such actions threaten social harmony and undermine national unity.