Google Maps Directed UP Police Exam Candidates to Wrong Location 59 km Away
Four candidates taking the UP Police recruitment examination reportedly followed Google Maps directions for their exam centre location but were directed 59 kilometres away to a field in Shamli district instead of Muzaffarnagar. By the time they realised the error and returned to the correct centre, the exam had begun and they were unable to sit the test. Police have opened an investigation into the mapping error.
What happened
Four candidates for the UP Police recruitment exam entered the name and code of their exam centre (Deepchand Grain Chamber Inter College in Muzaffarnagar's Nai Mandi) into Google Maps and followed its directions.
Google Maps directed them approximately 59 kilometres away to Chandedi or Jandehri village in Shamli district instead of the examination centre in Muzaffarnagar. When they arrived at the location shown by Google Maps, they found fields instead of a college building.
By the time the candidates realized the error and returned to the correct examination centre in Muzaffarnagar, the exam had already begun and they were unable to sit for the test.
Reported impact
The four candidates from Ghaziabad and Hapur reportedly lost their opportunity to take the UP Police constable recruitment examination.
According to media reports, candidates claimed that additional candidates, including female candidates, also arrived at the wrong location shown by Google Maps, suggesting the error affected more than the four official complainants.
Index analysis
The Muzaffarnagar Police SP Amrit Jain stated that four candidates had filed written complaints and that police and administration were investigating the complaint. The SP said a letter would be sent to Google to clarify why the examination centre location was showing incorrect information when searched by name.
The SP also noted that in previous exam shifts at the same centre, a large number of candidates had successfully completed their examinations, and that despite this, they were taking the complaint seriously and would send complete feedback to the recruitment board.
Governance controls
The candidates approached the Muzaffarnagar District Collector and filed written complaints requesting an investigation and re-examination. An SP City suggested that future admit cards should include QR codes or official location coordinates to prevent such issues in the future.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.