PRAYAGRAJ: Prof. Kirti Pandey, Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission, has stepped down from her position within just a year of assuming office.
She had submitted her resignation to the state government on September 22, which was officially accepted on Friday. On the same afternoon, the senior-most member of the Commission, former judicial service officer Ram Suchit, assumed charge as the Acting Chairperson.
Prof. Pandey, who was appointed amid high expectations, has cited personal reasons for her resignation.
However, according to sources within the Commission, her premature exit was largely due to internal factionalism and her inability to deliver effectively on recruitment matters.
Immediately after her resignation was accepted, an advertisement was issued on Friday for the appointment of a new chairperson.
After taking charge, Acting Chairperson Ram Suchit outlined his priorities. He stated that the first task would be to conduct interviews for the recruitment of 910 Assistant Professors in non-government aided colleges under Advertisement No. 51.
Additionally, interviews and examinations are scheduled for 624 Lecturer (PGT) posts on October 15–16, and for 3,539 Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) posts on December 18–19.
He also emphasized the importance of expediting requisitions from departments such as higher education, secondary education, basic education, and vocational education to initiate further advertisements without delay.
A Year Without Impact – Recruitment Exams Continued to be Delayed
The script for Prof. Pandey’s exit had, in fact, been written four days earlier. She had tendered her resignation on September 22.
On the very same day, Dr. Shivji Malviya, Deputy Secretary of the newly constituted Commission, was transferred to the vacant post of Lecturer in Zoology at the Government Postgraduate College, Fatehabad, Agra. Interviews for Assistant Professor recruitment were scheduled to begin on September 25.
On that day, during a Commission meeting, Prof. Pandey decided to invite objections on the written examination—a decision that turned out to be her last as Chairperson. Within 24 hours of that decision, her departure was finalized.
Applications for New Chairperson Invited Until October 21
With Prof. Pandey’s resignation accepted on Friday, the process of appointing a new Chairperson was immediately set in motion.
According to the advertisement issued by Special Secretary Girijesh Kumar Tyagi, applications are being invited until 6 PM on October 21. Interested candidates must send their applications (with detailed bio-data) via registered post to the Special Secretary, Higher Education Section-5, Lucknow.
The Chairperson’s tenure will last three years from the date of appointment or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
Eligible candidates include former IAS officers who have served as Principal Secretary or in equivalent positions, current or former Vice Chancellors of a university, or Professors with at least ten years of teaching experience and a minimum of three years of administrative experience.
Appointment and Tenure of Prof. Pandey
Prof. Kirti Pandey, a Sociology faculty member at Gorakhpur University, was appointed as the Commission’s Chairperson on September 1, 2024. She was brought in under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision to accelerate recruitment processes.
However, within a year, she failed to make a mark. Instead, the newly constituted Commission was frequently in the news for postponing recruitment examinations rather than conducting them.
The Commission faced serious controversy when its contractual employee, Mahboob Ali, was arrested in connection with the Assistant Professor recruitment exam held on April 16–17. This incident brought disrepute and raised questions about the Commission’s credibility.
There was also widespread frustration due to repeated delays in exam schedules. For instance:
- The TGT recruitment exam was initially planned for April 4–5, then rescheduled to May 14–15, later to July 21–22, and is now finally scheduled for December 18–19.
- Similarly, the PGT (Lecturer) recruitment exam was first scheduled for April 11–12, then shifted to June 18–19, later to June 20–21, then postponed again to late August, and is now scheduled for October 15–16.
Commission to Depend More on the Government
With senior member Ram Suchit now acting as Chairperson, the Commission will have increased dependence on the state government. In his official statement, he clarified that all further proceedings will be carried out strictly in line with government directives.
Experts point out that while a regular Chairperson has the authority to take independent policy decisions—such as conducting exams and interviews—an Acting Chairperson will require prior approval from the government for every significant step.
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