“Was the physical exam a hoax?”

AMIT KUMAR, 20 BA, with biosciences in senior secondary Kaman, Bharatpur

Amit had cleared his physical and medical tests last year, after preparing for years. He shifted to Jaipur last July to enrol in coaching classes for the written exam. His monthly expense here is Rs 12,000, for which his labourer father has taken a loan. He is the third of four sons, his elder two brothers being unemployed. He believes that if the PM and defence minister have announced the scheme, “it must be correct and in the national interest”. But he does hope that the results of his physical and medical tests are considered, especially after he heard the army chief say that since the medical tests were conducted several months ago, the authorities weren’t sure how fit the aspirants were.Amit says he feels cheated since he ran with 200 people for the physical test in defiance of Covid protocol. Yet the written test was endlessly postponed, citing Covid restrictions.