Hyderabad, Oct. 29 -- Candidates found involved in violent attempts at "regime change" can now be denied Uttar Pradesh government jobs, under tightened character verification rules that also bar rejection based on political beliefs alone.

The Yogi Adityanath government has revised the norms for candidates selected through direct recruitment. The move comes amid a controversy over calls for "regime change" during recent protests.

The order says authorities cannot reject an applicant merely because a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against them or because an investigation is pending. Nor can a candidate be disqualified for holding a particular political view. Any decision must rest on the circumstances covered by the ve...