The deepening employment crisis in Odisha was laid bare on Sunday as more than 4,000 candidates sat for a written exam for just 102 Home Guard positions in Jharsuguda district. The overwhelming turnout highlights a desperate search for stable work among the state’s youth.
According to official sources, 4,040 aspirants took the test held at the Odisha Special Armed Police (OSAP) Battalion ground. With roughly 40 candidates competing for every single opening, the recruitment drive underscored the intense competition for even temporary, low-paying government-linked roles.
Despite the minimum educational requirement being only Class 5, the crowd was filled with graduates, postgraduates, and technically qualified applicants. Many candidates said they
felt forced to apply due to a lack of private-sector jobs, delayed government recruitment, and few other alternatives.
The Trinamool Congress on Friday slammed the ruling BJP of Odisha, asserting that over 8,000 candidates, some qualified with MBA and MCA degrees, have appeared for a recent examination in Sambalpur to compete for just 187 Home Guard posts.
The Home Guards in Odisha receive a daily allowance of Rs 639, an official said.
Keeping in view the large number of candidates, the Sambalpur district police held the written test at the airstrip that is hardly used.
“To conduct a smooth recruitment, the police deployed additional force along with drones for aerial monitoring of the venue and to ensure discipline,” said a senior official.
As photos and videos of the recruitment test being held at the airstrip on December 16 went viral on social media, the TMC criticised the state’s BJP government over the state’s employment issue.
Attaching a video of the recruitment rest, the TMC in an X post said, “This is not a movie scene. This is BJP-ruled Odisha. Where more than 8,000 aspirants, including MBA & MCA graduates, were lining up for just 187 Home Guard vacancies.
“This is the brutal reality of @BJP4India’s so-called double engine governance. Degrees in hand. Jobs nowhere. Unemployment isn’t an accident; it’s BJP’s achievement.” While the candidates reported for the examination at 6 am, they were provided with question papers at 9 am, an official said.
The written test comprised a 20-mark paragraph writing exercise and a 30-mark general knowledge test, which lasted an hour, they said.
