Jharsuguda: Over 3,200 candidates, including graduates and postgraduates, appeared for just 102 home guard posts in Jharsuguda on Sunday, officials said. The written examination was conducted for temporary positions under the Odisha Police.

The minimum educational requirement for the posts is fifth standard, and the job offers a daily remuneration of ₹623. Despite the modest pay and low qualification criteria, the competition was intense.

Of the 3,200 candidates who appeared for the exam, officials said 1,010 will be shortlisted for the next stage, the physical test. The final selection will be based on combined performance in both the written and physical tests.

This is not an isolated event. Similar scenes were witnessed recently in Sambalpur and Rourkela:

In Sambalpur, around 8,000 candidates appeared for 187 home guard posts at the Jamadarpali Airstrip.

In Rourkela, nearly 9,000 aspirants competed for 202 posts.