Chandigarh/Panchkula, July 27 — Over 59,000 candidates appeared for the Haryana Staff Selection Commission’s (HSSC) Common Entrance Test (CET) for Group C posts across examination centres in Chandigarh and Panchkula on Saturday, as part of a massive recruitment exercise expected to draw nearly 13.7 lakh aspirants over two days across Haryana and the Union Territory.
The exam was held in two shifts—10 am to 11:45 am and 3 pm to 4:45 pm—with authorities implementing strict security and logistical arrangements to manage the heavy turnout.
In Panchkula, 19,759 of the 21,488 registered candidates took the exam at 44 designated centres. Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta personally visited several locations during both shifts to monitor proceedings. “The exams were conducted peacefully, and our teams were fully deployed to ensure a smooth environment,” she said.
Chandigarh saw even higher numbers, with approximately 40,000 of the 75,000 registered candidates appearing across 153 centres. Authorities had mobilised around 1,000 Haryana Roadways shuttle buses and set up help desks across the city. Despite these measures, key roads and junctions witnessed severe traffic bottlenecks.
Major traffic snarls were reported on routes including Tribune Chowk to Zirakpur, Sector 28/26 lights near CTU Workshop, and Gurdwara Chowk. Southern sectors of Chandigarh, along with Vikas Nagar to Hallomajra and the Kalagram light point to the railway station, experienced gridlocks lasting up to 40 minutes.
“We were stuck for nearly 40 minutes near the Dadumajra dumping yard,” said a commuter, describing the jam as “unmanageable” despite the visible presence of traffic personnel.
The Panchkula district administration had ordered all coaching centres and photocopy shops to remain shut on Saturday to prevent any malpractice. Though a few dual-service shops opened for other business, they complied with the ban on photocopying. The shutdown order will remain in effect on Sunday, when the second day of the CET is scheduled.
Private school buses, alongside government-arranged transport, helped ferry candidates from the Sector-5 bus stand and other locations to the exam centres. Police and district officials maintained high vigilance, and Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita continues to be enforced around all centres to maintain order and prevent unlawful gatherings.
The CET, a crucial step in Haryana’s recruitment process for Group C government positions, is being conducted with an unprecedented scale of coordination between law enforcement, civic administration, and education departments.
