The pay is less than ₹650 a day and the job sits at the lowest rung of policing, demanding long hours of vigil at police stations and law-and-order hotspots. Yet, such was the rush for job that the Odisha Police had to turn an airstrip into an examination hall for nearly 8,500 aspirants competing for just 183 Home Guard posts in Sambalpur district on December 16. The images have since gone viral.
“When we advertised for recruiting 183 posts of home guards, little did we know that so many candidates would vie for the job. More than 10,600 candidates have applied for the job for which Standard V was the minimum qualification. We had to reject applications on ground of under-qualification and under-age,” said Bilkis Nesha, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Home-Guard), Sambalpur.
Around 8,500 admit cards were issued and routed through police stations for distribution among aspirants.
Ms. Nesha said the Home Guard job was not easy to secure as it seemed, as candidates had to clear both written and skill tests. “We were determined to ensure a clean recruitment process. Had the examinations been conducted at police stations, schools or colleges, there would have been scope for favouritism. The Sambalpur police administration therefore took a unanimous decision to bring all candidates to one location. The Zamadarpali airstrip suited the purpose perfectly,” she said.
