One-third candidates absent in medical officer exam at Rohtak
As many as 4,050 candidates, nearly one-third, did not turn up for the written examination for Medical Officer recruitment conducted by Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences Rohtak (UHSR) on Sunday. A total of 12,555 had applied for the test.
The written test was organised to fill 450 vacant Medical Officer positions in the state Health Department. As many as 8,505 candidates appeared in the exam. The absence of over 4,000 candidates left the authorities surprised.
The exam, held under the direction of the state government, took place across 47 centres in Rohtak city from 11:30 am to 1 pm and proceeded peacefully.
“A detailed study is needed to pinpoint the exact reasons, but admissions to postgraduate courses and commitments at private hospitals or other workplaces generally seem to be the main factors. While the delay in conducting exams is also considered a reason, but this time, the exams were held according to the predetermined timeline,” said an official of the UHSR.
He maintained that they had anticipated about 20 per cent of candidates missing the exam, but the actual absentee rate of around 33 per cent came as a surprise.
“To ensure strict oversight, observers appointed by the Haryana Government and the university were present at all venues. Rapid action teams also visited the centres during the examination. Additionally, photography and videography were carried out for all candidates at every centre as part of security measures,” the official added.
He further maintained that the state received an overwhelming response to the recruitment drive this time, with applications surging nearly 50 per cent compared to 2024–25 when around 8,000 candidates had applied for 777 posts under the Haryana Civil Medical Services.
Dr HK Agrawal, Vice-Chancellor of the UHSR, and senior officials from the Department of Health Services conducted surprise inspections at several exam centres to monitor the process. Aggarwal stated that the exam results would be declared within a week and forwarded to the state government for the posting of the selected candidates.
