No UP Government Jobs For Those Involved In Activities Seeking ‘Regime Change’ Under New Rules

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has tightened character verification rules for government recruitment, making candidates associated with organisations that advocate changing the existing social and political system through violence ineligible for state government jobs.

The revised guidelines, issued by Principal Secretary (Appointment and Personnel) M Devaraj, apply to direct recruitment across government departments, public sector corporations, boards, councils and urban and rural local bodies.

The order also clarifies that political ideology alone cannot be a ground for disqualifying a candidate. Similarly, the mere registration of a First Information Report (FIR) or a pending police investigation will not automatically make an applicant ineligible for government employment.

Under the revised norms, individuals found to be members of organisations whose stated objective is to change the existing social system through violent means will be considered unsuitable for appointment. The provisions seek to distinguish between political beliefs and involvement in activities intended to bring about a change in the established system through violence.

The guidelines further state that if a candidate participated in violent activities or activities aimed at changing the existing system within the three years preceding character verification, after attaining the age of 21, their continued involvement may be presumed. However, authorities can consider documented evidence demonstrating a genuine change in the candidate's conduct and mindset.

The revised framework also identifies several serious offences that can render candidates unsuitable for government employment. These include murder, dacoity, rape, corruption, terrorist activities, recruitment examination paper leaks and organised examination fraud involving so-called solver gangs.

The order consolidates and updates the state's existing provisions on character verification and follows directions from the Allahabad High Court to establish clear guidelines for assessing the antecedents of candidates selected for government service.

FIR Alone Will Not Disqualify Candidates

The government has clarified that the existence of a criminal complaint or an ongoing investigation will not, by itself, prevent a candidate from securing a government job.

Authorities are required to assess the circumstances of a case under the prescribed criteria rather than automatically reject an applicant solely because an FIR has been registered. The guidelines also provide exceptions for certain cases involving acquittal, lawful compromise, discharge or cases dealt with under juvenile justice provisions.

The rules aim to establish uniform standards for determining whether a candidate's background makes them unsuitable for public employment.

Character Verification To Be Completed Within 30 Days

The revised guidelines also introduce a timeline for completing character verification. District police and Local Intelligence Units (LIUs) must submit their reports within 30 days of receiving a verification request. The state Home Department will monitor compliance with the deadline.

To prevent unnecessary harassment of applicants, police and intelligence personnel have been instructed not to visit candidates' residences for verification. Candidates will also not be required to appear physically at police stations for the process.

If a verification report contains adverse findings, the district magistrate must give the candidate an opportunity to present their case, either online or in person, before forwarding a final adverse recommendation.

The rules also provide that recruitment need not be delayed solely because character verification remains pending. Appointing authorities may issue provisional appointment letters after obtaining the prescribed self-declaration and undertaking from candidates. If information supplied by an applicant is subsequently found to be false, the appointment may be cancelled and legal action initiated.

Existing state government employees will not be required to undergo fresh character verification under the revised framework. However, appointing authorities may seek relevant service records from their previous departments where necessary.

Political Row Over ‘Regime Change’ Remarks

The changes come amid a political debate over calls for regime change during recent protests and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's warnings against attempts to destabilise the country.

Adityanath has argued that political power in a democracy must be secured through the people's mandate rather than through chaos or violence. His remarks came amid controversy over references to Bangladesh's 2024 student-led uprising, which culminated in the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.

The revised rules have also drawn criticism from opposition parties, which have questioned how the provisions could be applied and whether peaceful demonstrations could be affected.

Opposition leaders have maintained that peaceful protests and demands for political change are part of democratic activity and should not be equated with violent attempts to overthrow the established system.

The Uttar Pradesh government, however, has maintained a distinction between political ideology and activities involving violence. Under the new guidelines, the decisive consideration is not a candidate's political beliefs alone, but whether the prescribed grounds for disqualification are established during character verification.

The revised framework is expected to govern background checks for candidates entering state government service through direct recruitment, while setting out procedures intended to prevent arbitrary rejection and delays in appointments.

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