In a record, over a million applicants, including hundreds of doctorates and thousands of engineers, are vying for 700 posts of Village Revenue Officer (VRO) in Telangana.

A total of 10.58 lakh applicantions were received , with over 80 per cent taking the exam on Sunday across the 10 districts. In Hyderabad and surrounding areas itself, three lakh people appeared, according to the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC), which conducted the test.

The minimum qualification required for the post is higher secondary. The reason for the huge rush seems to be the security it provides, easy test and the respectability it brings, especially in rural areas, said Ghanta Chakrapani, Chairman of the Commission.

The competition is a daunting one. For each post, 1,500 candidates are vying. There is no exam fee and only a nominal registration fee for the exam.

Why the high number of engineers? One obvious reason is the large number of engineering colleges around Hyderabad, which churn out over 1.5 lakh graduates a year. With the decline in recruitments by IT companies and fewer placements in the manufacturing industry, many are turning to government jobs. In the past few years, the registration in employment organisation for jobs has also shown a significant increase.

Interestingly, the last time the recruitment for VROs happened in 2011. Even in the combined State of Andhra Pradesh then, the total number of applications was just six lakh. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and creation of Telangana in 2014, there has been a heightened aspiration among the youth for State government jobs.

comment COMMENT NOW