SSC Has No Record of Students Affected by Exam Centre Changes and Technical Glitches

The Staff Selection Commission has stated it has no specific data on the number of candidates affected by examination centre changes, cancellations, and technical failures during the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exam held in 2025. This information came to light through a response given to the Central Information Commission following a Right to Information application. The examination, which began on July 24 and was meant to end on August 1, 2025, faced widespread disruptions due to server crashes, sudden cancellations, unresponsive computer systems, and remote test centres. Some test-takers also reported being assigned to exam locations hundreds of kilometres away from their homes. In response to the RTI application asking for the total number of affected candidates and city-wise data, the commission stated that its EC-2 section has a limited role in such activities and holds no such records. Even though specific data was missing, the commission noted that re-examinations were held on August 2 and August 29 for 76,153 affected candidates. The applicant also asked about complaints regarding mistreatment of students at venues, including medical emergencies and a reported case of a student fainting and bleeding from the mouth, to which the commission replied that no such complaints were received. Furthermore, when asked about communications with Delhi Police regarding a protest by aspirants and teachers near Jantar Mantar and the CGO Complex on July 31, the commission stated its exam section made no communication with the police. When the applicant demanded the names and designations of officials handling centre allocation and coordination with the exam-conducting agency Eduquity, the commission refused, citing Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act to protect the security of future exams. During the hearing, the Central Information Commission noted that the SSC failed to properly explain why it denied this information and ordered a written justification. The CIC later closed the appeal after receiving the response, but warned the commission to strictly follow the rules and timelines of the RTI Act.