An image of a group of protesters from Rajasthan demonstrating for transparent recruitments in sub inspector and other government posts has been falsely linked to aspirants of Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET 2021) on social media.
The image, showing people sleeping under an open sky, is doing the rounds with the claim that it shows TET aspirants resting after traveling long distances to take the examination, which was eventually postponed. The UPTET 2021 was scheduled to be held on November 28 but was cancelled, two hours into the exam, after reports of a question paper leak surfaced. The photograph is being shared in this backdrop.
It has has been shared on Twitter with a claim, "#UPTET this is student s life. day to day, life of studnt are completely destroying. Please dont vote for goverment exam.... result.....#UPTET" (sic.)
Another Twitter user shared the image with a caption, "I hail from that state where examinees spend whole winter nights beneath open sky & at morning they get the news of paper leak and reschedule .... This is ridiculous #UPTET"
The tweet is archived here.
The image is viral with the same claim on Twitter. Users have also tweeted a video clip shot from the same spot.
The tweet is archived here.
The image also was shared on Facebook with similar claims.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a reverse search and found that the image does not show that aspirants for UPTET 2021, who were sleeping under the sky.
The image was tweeted by LP Pant, National Editor of Dainik Bhaskar, on November 28, with the caption, "It feels sad when the image of unemployed people of Rajasthan reach Lucknow from Jaipur. I think I should show this picture to you all."
BOOM also found a video report published on November 28 on Dainik Bhaskar, which shows the same image and visual from the location where protesters from Rajasthan spend their night under the open sky.
According to an article published on Times of India on November 23, the unemployed youth under the banner of Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrit Mahasangh planned a demonstration during All India Congress Committee general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's rally in Uttar Pradesh on November 24.
Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrit Mahasangh also demanded a CBI Investigation into the paper leak in the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers (REET) and sub-inspector recruitment exam. Three past attempts of talks between the protesters and government representatives have been remained inconclusive.
Dr Satish Poonia, state BJP President for Rajasthan also tweeted another image stating that unemployed youth from the state participated in sit-in protest outside UP Congress headquarter Lucknow. Read the report here.
On November 27, they protested outside the UP Congress headquarter in Lucknow.
The Uttar Pradesh Police's verified fact check handle to counter fake news debunked the image and clarified, "The viral photo is not of the candidates of UPTET but of the youth of Rajasthan. On the basis of their admit card, the candidates of UPTET are being sent home by UPSRTC buses conveniently and this examination will be conducted again in a month at state expense. Please don't spread misleading news."