PRAYAGRAJ, March 20 -- In a major relief for lakhs of aspirants preparing for the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET), the Uttar Pradesh government has rejected a proposal to increase the application fee. The proposal for fee revision, sent by the Prayagraj-headquartered Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), has been turned down by the state government, confirm officials. As per the earlier order issued on March 15, 2021, by special secretary RV Singh, the fee structure remains unchanged-Rs.600 for General, OBC, and EWS candidates; Rs.400 for SC/ST candidates; and Rs.100 for persons with disabilities (PwD) category. Candidates appearing for either the primary or upper primary level examination will pay the same category-wise fee, while those opting for both levels will be required to pay Rs.1200, Rs.800, and Rs.200 respectively. Notably, after the formation of the UPESSC, the fee had already been increased in 2024 to Rs.1000 for General/OBC/EWS, Rs.500 for SC/ST, and Rs.300 for PwD candidates. Subsequently, a fresh proposal was sent last year seeking a further hike to Rs.1700 for General category candidates, along with proportional increases for other categories. However, the government declined to approve the revised proposal. UPESSC PRO Sanjay Singh confirmed that the latest fee hike proposal has not been accepted by the state government. Meanwhile, in a move to streamline the application process for UPTET-2026, the commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide a secure digital payment gateway. Under this agreement, SBI will offer its "e-Pay" service, enabling faster and safer fee transactions for applicants at no additional cost. The MoU was signed at the commission's office in Prayagraj by secretary Manoj Kumar and SBI deputy general manager Pawan Kumar Arora. Commission chairman Prashant Kumar said that the initiative would ensure a transparent, secure, and efficient payment system, while also promoting digital transactions. Senior officials from both the commission and the bank were present at the event. It may be noted that a similar agreement was signed with ICICI Bank a day earlier. The application process for UPTET 2026 is expected to begin soon....