Citing flood disaster, HPAS aspirants want exam postponed

Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services (HPAS) aspirants from the disaster-affected districts of Kullu, Mandi, etc., are seeking postponement of the HPAS Mains exam, scheduled to begin from September 25, on the grounds of damaged infrastructure like roads, internet connectivity, power outages and emotional turmoil they have gone through due to extreme weather events over the last few weeks.

“Despite the natural disaster, damaged infrastructure and unsafe conditions, the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) has refused to acknowledge the situation or engage with aspirants’ repeated requests for a short, fair postponement of the exam,” the aspirants alleged.

The aspirants claim that the extreme-weather events like cloudburst, floods and landslides have derailed their preparations for the exam. “In the last week of August and the first two weeks of September, mobile signals were unavailable in many areas and the Internet access was non-existent. Online study material, communication and updates were completely out of reach. Besides, daily power cuts forced students to either study by candlelight or stop entirely,” the aspirants said.

They further said that many aspirants were forced to relocate from the affected areas, losing access to books, notes and stable environments in the process. “The mental toll of displacement, anxiety and physical exhaustion has created a complete break in preparation for a large number of students,” they said.

“Despite all this, the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission is not responding to their emails and phone calls,” they claimed, adding that they were not seeking any special treatment but basic fairness and the right to compete on an equal footing.

They said that hundreds of roads were still damaged or closed. These included access roads to examination centres. “Landslides, road cave-ins and sinking zones remain lurking threats, especially in rural areas. The Kullu–Mandi highway, crucial for many candidates, is barely functional,” they said.