Job aspirants rue clash of AP secretariat, bank exam dates

Amaravati: Youth aspiring to appear for both AP village and ward secretariat jobs and IBPS are at disadvantage as two exams are scheduled to be held the same day, September 20. The candidate will have to choose either of the two tests.

The village and ward secretariat staff recruitment examinations are being conducted by the state government to recruit staff for various categories like Panchayat Secretary, Mahila Police, Ward Administrative Secretary, Welfare Education Assistant in the morning session and Panchayat Secretary (Grade 6) and Digital Assistant in the afternoon session on September 20. The same day, the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), an autonomous body set up by Reserve Bank of India, central financial institutions and public sector banks, is conducting a common recruitment process for recruitment of officers (Scale 1, 2 and 3) and office assistants (multipurpose) in Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).

Speaking to The Hans India, Potluri Vijaya and J Akhila, two aspirants from Guntur, explained that they have been preparing for these two exams for last one year. But, the exams coincided on the same day, depriving them a chance to take one exam. They appealed to the state government to change the exam for village/ward secretariat staff.

However, Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, principal secretary, panchayat raj and rural development, said that the state government would not change any scheduled date regarding the village and ward secretariat exams.

He explained that these dates were announced well in advance about one-and-a-half months ago and all the preparations were completed. "Students have downloaded the hall tickets. The government machinery has made all the arrangements, starting from identifying exam centres, printing OMR sheets, setting question papers, issuing orders to the police and other departments for necessary arrangements and almost all the departments have been working on it. Nearly 11 lakh candidates applied for these exams. At this juncture, the government is determined to conduct the exams as per the announced schedule and there will not be any change in it," Dwivedi explained.