Sambalpur: In an incident highlighting the rising unemployment, more than 9,000 candidates appeared for the Home Guard recruitment examination conducted by the Sambalpur police on Tuesday, even though only 187 posts are available.

The recruitment drive covered Home Guard posts for 24 police stations, drawing an unexpectedly large number of applicants for a job that requires a minimum educational qualification of Class V. The high turnout surprised officials, especially due to the presence of many highly educated candidates.

Degree holders among candidates

A large number of applicants were graduates, engineers, MBA and MCA degree holders, as well as candidates with diplomas, ITI training and computer science backgrounds.

The Home Guard post offers a daily wage of Rs 612, which amounts to around Rs 18,360 per month. Despite the modest pay and basic eligibility criteria, the overwhelming participation reflected the growing job scarcity in the state, particularly among educated youth.

Officials said the posts were created mainly to support police vehicle driving and computer-related work in Sambalpur district.

The recruitment examination began early in the morning at the Jamadarpali airstrip. Reporting time was fixed at 6 am, while candidates were allowed to enter the examination ground at 9 am. Question papers were distributed at 10.30 am. Candidates were given 30 minutes to write a paragraph for 20 marks, followed by a one-hour general knowledge test carrying 30 marks.

Security arrangements for exam

The entire examination process was conducted under strict security arrangements as per the direction of Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo. A total of three Additional SPs, 24 inspectors, 86 SIs and ASIs, along with over 100 Home Guards and traffic police personnel, were deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of the exam.

Drones were also used at the airstrip ground to monitor candidates and maintain discipline during the examination.