Names such as ‘News’, ‘Space Rani’, ‘He Ram’, ‘Bhakt Prahlad’ and ‘Tufail’ appearing on Chhattisgarh’s latest police recruitment exam result have triggered a political row, with Congress questioning the selection process. The Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC), however, has rejected the allegations and said the names are genuine and exactly match the details submitted by candidates in their applications.
The controversy began after a portion of the qualifying list went viral on social media. But some of the candidates whose names attracted attention have now come forward to explain why their names appear unusual.
The CGPSC has also said that these candidates used the same names during document verification, physical tests and the preliminary examination, and their admit cards carried those names as well.
How the controversy started
The CGPSC held the preliminary examination on July 12 for recruitment to 341 posts of subedar, sub-inspector and platoon commander under the Home Department.
The examination was conducted across all 33 districts of Chhattisgarh. When the commission announced the result on August 4, a total of 7,301 candidates were declared eligible for the mains examination.
The result itself did not initially become a major issue. The controversy started after a clipping of the qualifying list circulated online.
The names ‘News’, ‘Space Rani’, ‘He Ram’, ‘Bhakt Prahlad’ and ‘Tufail’ caught social media users' attention, leading to questions over whether the list contained errors or irregularities. Congress leaders then used the names to attack the government and the recruitment process.
Bhupesh Baghel takes a dig
Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel shared the list of unusual names on X and took a sarcastic swipe at the government. "The Public Relations Department should spend Rs 1 crore daily on advertisements to display this achievement at public intersections so that, in the coming days, 'Radio' and 'Space Raja' might also succeed in some examination."
