PRAYAGRAJ, June 3 -- The recruitment process for 331 posts of additional private secretary (APS) in UP has concluded without a single selection after none of the candidates who appeared for the second stage could pass the mandatory shorthand test, officials confirmed. Consequently, all 331 vacant posts have been returned to the state government. In a communique issued by UPPSC secretary Girijesh Kumar Tyagi on Tuesday, he confirmed that over 4,000 candidates appeared for the second-stage examination, which included both shorthand and typing tests. However, not one candidate was able to meet the prescribed requirement of accurately writing 80 words per minute in shorthand. The commission initiated the recruitment drive in September 2023 by inviting applications for the vacancies. The preliminary examination was conducted on January 7, 2024, and the results, declared on March 4, 2024, shortlisted 5,889 candidates for the subsequent stage. The second-stage examination took place between June 28 and July 18, 2024, drawing 4,240 participants. With zero candidates demonstrating the required shorthand proficiency within the stipulated time, no one qualified for the third and final stage of the selection process. htc...