Physical fitness test for home guard recruitment turned tragic in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: A physical fitness test for home guard recruitment turned tragic in Odisha’s Gajapati district on Thursday when one candidate died and seven others were hospitalized during a mandatory running event.The deceased, Sulant Mishal from Parisal village, collapsed while participating in the 2-km running test at the district headquarters in Paralakhemundi. Seven other candidates who fell ill during the exercise were rushed to the district headquarters hospital, where two remain unconscious. The others are reported to be in stable condition, though all showed swelling in their lower limbs.The candidates were required to complete the 2-km run between Padampur and Ranipentha within 10 minutes to qualify. “Five of us had come from our village for the test. After the girls’ test was complete, boys took part. Sulant qualified but collapsed. We then saw an ambulance coming and later discovered he had died,” said Sasmita Mali, a co-villager of the deceased.Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for Mishal’s family. The government has ordered a probe into the incident, and further recruitment tests have been temporarily suspended.This incident follows a similar tragedy earlier in March when two engineering graduates died during a forest department recruitment test. Byomkesh Naik (28) from Keonjhar district and Prabin Kumar Panda (29) from Sundargarh district collapsed during a 25-km walking test on March 4. Both were employed professionals seeking better prospects in the forest department.The recent deaths during government recruitment physical tests have raised concerns about the safety protocols and testing conditions during such events in the state.