Having less than 200 seats and over 8,000 competitors, the recent Home Guard recruitment test of Odisha has gained a lot of publicity following its use of airstrip in Sambalpur. The bizarre set up that involved thousands of candidates sitting on the floor to take the exam has been made viral in social media, and many are shocked by the images.
The test was conducted on December 16 at the Sambalpur airstrip which is hardly a utilized facility. Online media has videos of rolls of applicants sitting in an open space with their papers being written overseen closely. The authorities indicated the unusual location was selected because of the large amount of applicants turning up to take the test during one session.
It is reported that there were more than 8,000 applicants to the 187 posts in the Home Guard. It is important to note that a large number of applicants were qualified with MBA and MCA degrees, and unemployment and a lack of job opportunities in the state were raising concerns. Odisha Home Guards receive 639 per day, an official has confirmed it.
The test has also created a political controversy. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) attacked the Odisha government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on grounds of poor governance and questioned the employment policies. The ruling party however justified the arrangements saying that the venue was chosen just to facilitate smooth running of the examination.
To ensure that the situation does not get out of hand and to deter malpractice, the police force in the Sambalpur district stationed extra officers at the location. Aerial surveillance was also carried out using drones to monitor the huge assembly to ensure that there was discipline during the examination process.
According to one of the senior police officials, the test at the airstrip was based on logistical choice necessary to have all the candidates in a single place. It was argued that there were sufficient steps to ensure that the recruitment process was transparent and fair.
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