Prayagraj Protest Concludes Following Police Intervention

The four-day-long indefinite protest staged by candidates seeking the restoration of previous rules and examination patterns for Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) recruitments came to an abrupt end in Prayagraj on Thursday night. Police personnel cleared the site outside the Directorate of Education and detained dozens of protesters to restore order.

The agitation had escalated earlier in the week when hundreds of aspirants blocked traffic at the busy Eklavya Crossing, lying down on the roadway to press their demands. Beyond reverting to the older examination formats, the candidates were also pushing for an additional attempt in the upcoming recruitment examinations.

History of Agitation and Administrative Deadlock

This recent standoff follows an earlier 19-day protest held by the same candidate groups from September 5 to September 23 over identical grievances. Despite multiple rounds of discussions and persistent efforts by local officials to persuade the aspirants to call off the agitation, the candidates remained firm on their positions.

With negotiations breaking down and traffic disruptions escalating, police moved in late Thursday evening, removing the remaining protesters from the Directorate premises and executing multiple detentions to bring the prolonged agitation to a close.

Unnao Administration Reviews Arrangements for PET 2026

Meanwhile, in a separate development concerning state examinations, the Unnao district administration has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) 2026.

District Magistrate Ghanshyam Meena and Superintendent of Police J P Singh conducted thorough inspections of key transit hubs, including local bus stations and railway terminals, to evaluate the logistical arrangements in place for candidates traveling into the district.

Ensuring Candidate Welfare

During the site visits, District Magistrate Meena issued direct instructions to executive officers to ensure that night shelters are adequately equipped with functional fans to provide relief to candidates arriving ahead of the test dates.

Authorities report that more than 4,500 candidates are expected to appear for the PET 2026 examination, which will be hosted across 13 designated centers throughout the Unnao district. District officials have emphasized that all security and logistical frameworks will be finalized well ahead of schedule to facilitate a smooth testing process.