Uttar Pradesh Bars Violent Regime-Change Activists From Government Jobs

The Government of Uttar Pradesh has tightened character verification rules for direct recruitment across state departments, public sector corporations, local bodies, and autonomous agencies. Issued by Principal Secretary M Devaraj following directives from the Allahabad High Court, the guidelines disqualify candidates associated with organizations that seek to change the political or social system through violent means.

Under the new policy, candidates over 21 who participated in violent activities aimed at regime change within three years of verification are ineligible, unless they can document a positive change in conduct. The rules also permanently bar individuals implicated in serious crimes, including murder, rape, terrorism, cyber fraud, and recruitment exam paper leaks. To streamline hiring, the government will issue provisional appointments based on self-declarations, though police must submit final verification reports within 30 days. Background checks now extend to any district where a candidate resided for more than one year during the previous five years.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath linked the measures to warnings against "Bangladesh-style" political upheavals. While the government clarified that political ideology, a pending investigation, or a first information report (FIR) alone are not grounds for disqualification, opposition parties have condemned the move. The Samajwadi Party and Indian National Congress described the order as "undemocratic" and "reminiscent of the British colonial period," arguing it violates constitutional rights to protest and targets students. The Bharatiya Janata Party defended the norms as necessary to combat anarchy.