Hyderabad: The double standards of the state government when it comes to conducting recruitment exams, has adversely affected lakhs of unemployed youth.
While exams to fill over 60,000 vacancies through APPSC have been stopped since August 2013, citing the bifurcation issue, the government has allowed the revenue and panchayat raj departments to fill 1,650 village revenue officer posts, 4,300 village revenue assistant posts and 2,600 panchayat secretary posts.
The notification for these posts was issued recently and the exams will be scheduled shortly. The rationale behind stopping APPSC exams but allowing other departments to conduct exams has been questioned, but no answers are forthcoming from the government.
Though the VRA, VRO, and panchayat secretary vacancies are village-level posts, over 20 lakh candidates with M.Tech, B.Tech, MA, M.Com, M.Sc, BA, B.Com and B.Sc degrees have applied, exposing the serious unemployment problem. The qualification needed for a VRA is SSC, for a VRO Intermediate and for panchayat secretary, a graduate degree.
Next: Two lakh lose job chance
Two lakh lose job chance
Hyderabad: Nearly two lakh students have lost the opportunity to appear for the APPSC exam due to the age bar, the cut-off date being December 31, 2013, to fix the upper age limit of 36 years. The APPSC has been repeatedly asking the government whether it can go ahead with the notifications to fill about 60,000 posts in various departments. The government has not bothered to respond.
Many applicants from the districts and rural areas attend coaching classes in the city to crack the exams and secure jobs. Many of them are private employees who have left their jobs in their native districts to study for and get the coveted government job.
Others are unemployed youth from the districts who migrate to the city and live in shared rented rooms and hostels to prepare for the exams. They have spent a great deal of money on coaching classes and living expenses since August last year.
P. Madhukar’s story is typical of these job seekers who feel very let down. “I have been preparing for Group-2 exams for the last two years. I have spent over Rs 3 lakh towards coaching and living expenses in the city. Even if the exam in conducted now, I will not be eligible since I crossed the upper age limit of 36 years on December 31, 2013.
I left my teacher’s job in a private school in Nalgonda to prepare for the exam. I have lost my salary of Rs 10,000 per month for the last two years. All my efforts have been wasted due to the delay in conducting the exams by APPSC,” Madukar said.
APPSC had prepared a ‘recruitment calendar’ in August 2013 to conduct various exams between September 2013 and March 2014. These exams are for Group-I, Group-II, junior lecturers, degree lecturers, civil assistant surgeons, librarians, etc.
“Barring Group-I posts, which are state-level posts, the recruitment for all the other posts can be taken up without any problem. The bifurcation of the state has nothing to do with the filling of non-Group I posts, since they are filled at zonal and district level,” points out R. Krishnaiah, president, AP Backward Classes Welfare Association.
He says the delay has already disqualified two lakh job seekers, who have exceeded the age limit and a further two lakh are at risk if the delay continues.
The association has lined up a series of agitation programmes next week such as laying siege to the Chief Minister’s camp office, the Legislative Assembly, the Secretariat and APPSC. Thousands of unemployed people are expected to participate. To compensate for the delay, a relaxation of the age limit has been demanded.
