Defence aspirants protest ‘delay’ in written tests

Many youths have crossed their maximum age limit as the government failed to conduct recruitment drives in the last two years. SUMIT, a resident of Rohtak

ROHTAK: Hundreds of youths staged protests in Bhiwani, Hisar, Rohtak, Jind and other parts of Haryana on Sunday, asking the central government to conduct the pending written tests for recruitment in various wings of the armed forces.

Defence services aspirants alleged that the screening and physical tests were conducted about two years ago, but written tests were deferred following the Covid pandemic.

“Many youths crossed their maximum age limit as the government failed to conduct recruitment drives in the last two years. We urge the government to give relaxation of two years to youths and hold the written exams of the previous drives,” said Sumit of Rohtak, who was protesting outside Maharshi Dayanand University.

Last month, a 23-year-old army aspirant had killed himself at a government school in a village of Bhiwani district.

The youngster had hung himself from a tree on the same ground where he used to run for the past several years, practising for the army recruitment drive.

His father had said that his son dreamt of joining the army, but his hopes were shattered due to the Covid pandemic. No recruitment drive was held in the past three years and his son had crossed the upper age limit for eligibility, he had added.