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27-12-2025
Bureau Report
NEW DELHI/ BHUBABESWAR: Thousands of job seekers flocked to a small airstrip in Odisha’s Sambalpur district this month for a home guard recruitment exam, turning the site into a sprawling open-air classroom.
According to PTI, more than 8,000 candidates’ contested just 187 vacancies, highlighting Odisha’s deepening unemployment crisis, where sluggish industrial growth, agricultural challenges, and a gap between education and job opportunities are pushing even highly qualified graduates toward semi-skilled government positions.
The scene has attracted national and international attention as a stark example of India’s regional job scarcity challenges.
While the minimum eligibility is Class V, many candidates held advanced qualifications including graduates, engineers, MBAs, MCAs, diploma holders, ITI-trained individuals, and computer science graduates further highlighting the acute employment gap in the region.
Record turnout for limited vacancies
The recruitment drive aims to fill 187 positions across 24 police stations in Sambalpur district. Despite the modest educational requirement, aspirants from across the district including highly qualified professionals lined up to compete, highlighting the scarcity of opportunities in Odisha.
Drone footage and social media images captured thousands of candidates seated in neat rows directly on the airstrip, turning the venue into an improvised examination hall.
Exam structure: Short but competitive
Candidates faced:
A 30-minute paragraph-writing section worth 20 marks
A one-hour general knowledge paper worth 30 marks
The exam, though brief and straightforward, attracted thousands, reflecting the region’s economic distress.
Candidates reported at 6 am (local time), with entry permitted from 9 am, and question papers distributed at 10:30am. Following this written test, successful candidates will undergo physical efficiency tests, skill evaluations for drivers and computer operators, and document verification, with results expected in the last week of December.
Airstrip transformed into exam venue
The Jamadarpali airstrip was closely monitored to ensure order and safety:
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Bhamoo supervised the event
Three additional superintendents of police, 24 inspectors, 86 sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, over 100 home guards, and traffic personnel were deployed
Drones provided aerial surveillance
A senior police officer told media: “Around ten thousand applied online, and nearly eight thousand appeared, reflecting the gravity of unemployment here.”
Public and political reactions
The sight of candidates writing exams on an airstrip sparked debate:
Opposition leaders questioned the government’s approach to employment generation Social media users raised concerns about logistics, noting the scene resembled a public gathering rather than a formal exam
Similar overcrowding has been seen in other Odisha recruitments, such as 15,000 applicants competing for 100 posts in Bhubaneswar last month, highlighting persistent skill mismatches and limited industrial growth.
