Candidates appearing in the Rajasthan Public Service Commission’s examination for recruitment of government school teachers received an assurance from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here on Monday for “sympathetic consideration” of their demand for extension of the exam dates. The exam is scheduled to begin on January 3.
Half-a-dozen women protesters raising the demand had climbed down from an overhead water tank at Jagatpura locality here late on Sunday night after Mr. Gehlot’s appeal. The aspirants have launched an agitation with the demand that new dates in July-August 2020 be fixed in view of the upcoming panchayat elections.
While several of them are yet to obtain the qualifying degree, a large number of aspirants serving the government were unable to prepare due to time constraint. The protesting women, who spent more than 32 hours on the water tank, were sent food, blankets and water through ropes by the crowd present below.
Meena extends support
As the women continued their protest and issued a video message addressed to the Chief Minister, other candidates waited on the ground to support them. Rajya Sabha member Kirori Lal Meena extended his support to the agitation and also spoke up in favour of the candidates’ additional demand for increasing the number of vacancies from 5,000 to 10,000.
Mr. Gehlot told a delegation of the candidates led by Mr. Meena that he would take a decision “in the best interest” of the youth appearing in the exam. He had tweeted on Sunday that he was concerned for the protesting women and pointed out that the government had extended the exam dates twice in the past.
“If the date is not extended this time, about 2.50 lakh candidates may become ineligible for various reasons,” Mr. Meena said.
