Lucknow, July 3 -- Nearly 85% candidates appeared in Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test-2026 across both shifts in the state. A total of 807,636 candidates were registered for the written examination and of these, 684,614 (84.76%) candidates appeared for the exam conducted by Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC). The attendance rate was 84.69% for female candidates and 84.86% for male. A total of 15 imposters were held including seven in the first shift and eight in the second shift. On Thursday, the first day, the exam was conducted across 955 centres in 60 districts of the state. In Lucknow about 71% candidates appeared in the exam on Thursday, according to data provided by Lucknow administration. In the first shift, 19,734 candidates were registered against which 14,032 were present (71.10%) while 5,702 skipped the examination. Similarly in the second shift another 19,734 were registered against which 14,084 (71.36%) were present and 5,650 absent. Prashant Kumar, chairman of the UPESSC, stated that during the examination, all centres were closely monitored from the Commission's AI-integrated Control Command Room in the presence of commission members, the secretary, the controller of examinations, and the deputy secretary. Continuous surveillance of the candidates' activities was maintained via AI cameras. Following AI-assisted screening of suspicious cases, 15 impersonators-7 in the first shift and 8 in the second shift-were apprehended while attempting to take the exam on behalf of actual candidates. Kumar said that under the three-day UPTET-2026 schedule, the examination will be held in two shifts on July 3, and in a single shift on July 4. He stated that the examinations for the remaining two days would also be conducted with the same high standards of AI surveillance and security. Outside centres in Lucknow, many candidates said it was their first attempt at a government teacher recruitment exam. Ajay, 27, who came from Delhi by train, said his examination centre was at Government Jubliee Inter College. "I was a bit anxious for my first attempt at the examination, but all the exam blues went by soon after I read the question paper. I am satisfied with my attempt," said Ajay. Farheen Fatima, 25, from Raebareli, reached the centre a day prior to chuck any delays. "I completed Child Development and Pedagogy and Hindi within half an hour and English in another half an hour. The passage questions were timetaking. Maths was difficult and time-taking," said Fatima. '...