UPPSC defends RO-ARO recruitment, says OBC candidates got 42% representation

Commission To Cite SC Orders In High CourtLucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has decided to defend the Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Recruitment Examination-2023 in court after the Allahabad high court imposed an interim stay on the joining of selected candidates over objections related to reservation and migration rules.The commission said the final selection process was carried out in accordance with reservation policies and established recruitment rules, and pointed out that candidates from the OBC category secured nearly 42% representation in the final result.According to the commission, a total of 419 candidates were selected in the final result declared on April 5, 2026. Out of them, 176 candidates belonged to the OBC category, accounting for around 42% of the total selections. In comparison, candidates from the general category constituted 28.16% of the final list.UPPSC secretary Girijesh Tyagi said the recruitment process reflected a balance between merit and social justice and was conducted under the provisions of the 1994 and 1986 recruitment rules as well as conditions mentioned in the advertisement.The commission clarified that the RO-ARO examination followed a three-stage recruitment system comprising the preliminary examination, main examination, typing test and interview process. Officials said the preliminary examination was only a screening or “suitability” test and its marks were not included in the final merit list.The commission argued that reservation determination is made only at the stage of final selection and not during the preliminary screening phase.UPPSC officials said more than a dozen selected candidates had already joined before the interim stay order came into effect.The commission has now begun studying Supreme Court observations and interim orders passed in a similar matter related to the Haryana Public Service Commission. Officials said the apex court had earlier indicated that the issue of applying reservation at the preliminary examination stage required detailed legal examination.Tyagi said the commission would place these legal principles before the high court while defending the recruitment process. He added that the commission was committed to ensuring that selected candidates do not suffer unnecessary hardship due to ongoing litigation.Officials said the entire RO-ARO selection process was transparent, rule-based and constitutionally compliant, and asserted that the strong representation of OBC candidates in the final list itself demonstrated the inclusiveness of the recruitment exercise.