Bhubaneswar: In a stark illustration of the escalating unemployment crisis in Odisha, more than 8,000 candidates turned up on Thursday for a Home Guard recruitment examination organised by Sambalpur police, competing for just 187 available positions.
The examination was conducted on Jamadarpali airstrip.
According to sources, the drive aimed to fill posts across 24 police stations in the district, primarily to assist with driving police vehicles and handling computer-related tasks. Despite the roles requiring only a minimum qualification of Class V and offering a modest daily wage of Rs 612, totalling to Rs 18,360 a month, the massive turnout caught officials off guard, particularly as many applicants held advanced degrees.
Among the candidates were numerous graduates, engineers, MBAs, MCAs, diploma holders, those with ITI training, and individuals with computer science backgrounds, underscoring the acute job scarcity affecting even highly educated youth in the state.
Candidates were required to report by 6 am, with entry to the grounds permitted from 9 am. Question papers were distributed at 10.30 am, and the test consisted of a 30-minute paragraph-writing section worth 20 marks, followed by a one-hour general knowledge paper carrying 30 marks.
Sources further stated stringent security measures in place under the directives of Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo. Three Additional SPs, 24 inspectors, 86 sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, along with more than 100 Home Guards and traffic personnel, were deployed to maintain order. Drones were additionally employed to monitor the venue and ensure discipline throughout the proceedings.
Notably, a similar scene was recently witnessed in Rourkela, where candidates with BTech degrees and double MA qualifications had also applied for Home Guard positions.
