Ramgarh: The race for 284 home guard posts began in Ramgarh on Friday with men from Dulmi block taking the physical efficiency test. Women candidates from the block will appear on Sunday.The recruitment ground has been turned into a closely monitored zone. Forty-nine CCTV cameras are providing surveillance, while radio frequency identification (RFID) chips attached to candidates are recording each runner’s timing with precision. Only candidates carrying valid admit cards are being allowed inside. Outsiders and unauthorised persons, especially those carrying electronic gadgets, have been barred from entering the venue.Deputy commissioner Rituraj and SP Mukesh Kumar Lunayat inspected the arrangements on Friday before the tests began. Home guard commandant Nilima Surin said the RFID system would ensure that every candidate’s performance was recorded accurately.“RFID chips attached to candidates help ensure precise recording of individual performance during the race,” Surin said, adding that block-wise physical efficiency tests for men and women would continue until Nov 5.About 15,000 candidates are competing for the 284 vacancies. Half the posts have been reserved for women, including a 5% quota for widowed and divorced applicants. The upper age limit for applicants is 40.Among those preparing to run on Sunday is 32-year-old Kavita Kumari of Soso village. A video of Kavita practising barefoot in a sari went viral on social media, drawing attention to her determination. But behind the viral image is a daily struggle: she has been raising her two children and supporting her elderly in-laws through daily wage work since her husband died two years ago.Kavita said she trains early in the morning and again late in the evening, after finishing her household responsibilities.“I have to get this job for my children. If I get a job, they can study properly. Pain will not stop me,” she told TOI.Officials have appealed to candidates to ignore rumours and misleading claims and to take part in the recruitment process in a disciplined and fair manner.
