Video: Thousands Of Aspirants Sit For Government Exam On Airstrip In Odisha

An unusually large crowd gathered on the Jamadarpali airstrip in Odisha's Sambalpur district to take a recruitment examination for the posts of home guards. Visuals of thousands of aspirants seated in rows on the airstrip flooded social media.

With no desks or mats provided, candidates used the airstrip's surface to write the test. Drone footage captured the arrangement. The drones were deployed to oversee the venue and maintain discipline during the process.

Watch the video here:

Highly educated candidates

Though the minimum qualification required for the Home Guard post is a Class 5 pass, the academic profiles of many candidates stood out. More than 8,000 aspirants from across the Sambalpur district appeared for just 187 vacancies.

Among them were graduates, engineers, MBAs, MCAs, diploma holders, ITI-trained candidates, and individuals with computer science degrees, hinting at a severe shortage of jobs in the state.

Exam schedule and security measures

Candidates were asked to report by 6 am, although entry to the venue was permitted from 9 am. Question papers were distributed at 10:30 am. The test comprised a 30-minute paragraph-writing section carrying 20 marks, followed by a one-hour general knowledge paper worth 30 marks.

To manage the crowd and ensure law and order, the administration deployed three additional superintendents of police, 24 inspectors, 86 sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, along with over 100 Home Guards and traffic personnel.

Political and public reaction

The sight of candidates sitting on an airstrip to write an examination has drawn criticism and debate. Opposition leaders have posted videos to question the government's approach to employment generation, pointing to the wider issue of youth unemployment.

Social media users have also flagged concerns over the logistics, with some saying that the setting appeared closer to a public gathering than a formal examination.