A screenshot of an alleged News18 story is being circulated widely on social media platforms. The Hindi headline states, “Government jobs: Students promoted to 10th, 12th to give special exam for government jobs.” According to the story, since the students were promoted without taking exams, their mark sheets will not be considered for government jobs. Some variations of the screenshot also feature an image of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. It is being claimed that the new initiative was a recent move by the Yogi administration. It is noteworthy that the image has gone viral against the backdrop of the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The photo is widespread on Facebook.
Alt News also received a number of requests to verify the image on its official mobile app.
The screenshot has also made its way to WhatsApp.
Fact-check
Alt News performed a keyword search, which led us to a News18 report dated July 7, with a headline that resembles the one seen in the screenshot.
The story mentions that the Assam government issued an order according to which mark sheets of students promoted to 10th and 12th standards during the COVID-19 pandemic will not be valid for government jobs. The Assam administration announced it would create a special evaluation policy, consisting of a set of special exams for recruitment to positions in the state government in addition to the existing qualifying examinations. Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the Uttar Pradesh government or the central government has taken any such decision.
According to Navbharat Times, there was a flurry of opposition against this move. “The decision was withdrawn at a meeting between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the All Assam Students Union (AASU), All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) after widespread protests by student organisations,” said the report.
To sum it up, the Assam government recently announced that students promoted to the 10th and 12th standards would have to appear for a special examination for recruitment in government jobs. This decision was withdrawn following a wave of opposition. Uttar Pradesh government had not come up with the order.
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