The new system of police recruitment in the state, which Home Minister P C Chidambaram recently praised and recommended to other states, has several unique features which have never been tried in any other state.

It relies heavily on modern technology to ensure transparency and eliminate human errors. So much so that the candidates can now take home a duplicate copy of the answer-sheet and later tally the answers from the official website.

The system is being used in the current recruitment of 35,000 constables across the state, which began on October 22. The system, however, has run into rough weather due to poor Internet connectivity in the state.

Computers installed with the new software were sent to all the districts, but these did not connect with the server at the headquarters in Lucknow.

The first stage in the recruitment involves the physical measurement of the candidates. Since the new system is yet to be made operational, the measurement is being done manually.

According to the authorities, the system will be restored by November 12, when the next stage of recruitment — Physical Endurance Test (PET) — will begin at 25 places.

The UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board had hired two reputed private firms — which do not want to identify themselves for security reasons — to provide technical expertise for the different stages of the recruitment process. The project will cost Rs 12 crore.

The firms have conducted various exams across the country, including GMAT.

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