Karnataka - Bijapur   

Abrupt end to recruitment drive

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR, JUNE 8. A large number of youth seeking a career in the Indian Army had to return home disappointed as the authorities concerned suddenly cancelled the recruitment drive on Tuesday.

The three-day recruitment drive began here on Monday. But the Army officials did not conduct interviews today, and made an impromptu announcement that they the recruitment drive had been cancelled as they had enrolled the required number of candidates during the interview on Monday.

The district police had made elaborate security arrangements by putting up barricades following yesterday's experience. Fresh candidates and those who could not attend interview yesterday started queuing up at the District Stadium since early morning.

However, an announcement was made about the cancellation of the process even as some disappointed candidates shouted slogans.

Many candidates, who could not attend the interview, complained that the authorities concerned had "fooled" them. They should have held the interview for three days as announced earlier. "All of us should have got an opportunity," some candidates said.

Gurulinga, a youth from Bilagi in Bagalkot district, passed the primary screening but his candidature was not considered, as he had no rural studying certificate on Monday. Today, he came along with the required certificate but only to know that the Army authorities had cancelled the exercise.

In an informal chat with presspersons, he said the recruitment drive should be more transparent. Announcement calling for the required documents, eligibility criteria and number of posts should have been made in advance, he said.

For example, he said, the minimum height had been fixed at 165 cm in the past but during this exercise, the authorities said it had been raised to 170 cm.

Most of the candidates were disqualified on this criterion alone. Had it (height criteria) been announced in advance candidates could have saved time and money, he felt.

Many others also echoed his views. The sudden stoppage of the recruitment process raised eyebrows in the official circles too as it came contrary to yesterday's announcement made by Army officials.

While talking to presspersons on Monday, Brigadier C.D. Sawant, Station Commander and Commandant of Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre (Belgaum), said that there was no ceiling on the number of placements and all eligible candidates would be recruited.

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