Condition of running with 25-kg weight for ‘Pashu Mitras’ recruitment withheld

The Directorate of Animal Husbandry on Monday issued a notification withholding the condition regarding clearing the ground physical test by running while carrying a 25-kg bag for both men and women candidates for the recruitment of ‘Pashu Mitras’. The Director, Animal Husbandry, in the notification referred to office letters No. 259-260 dated January 3, 2026, and 777 dated January 14 and intimated the department officials that the process of conducting the ground physical test had been withheld due to some administrative reasons.

The Tribune had highlighted the plight of the women candidates in these columns on February 13 after a video clip of a young girl falling on the ground during the physical test while running with a 25-kg gunny bag in Mandi district went viral on social media on February 11. The incident had triggered resentment among women, mahila mandals and NGOs working for women empowerment in Kangra district. The Animal Husbandry Department is getting the petty job of ‘Pashu Mitras’ done for Rs 5,000 per month.

Neeraj Bharti, a former Chief Parliamentary Secretary and son of Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar, had also strongly reacted in a Facebook post on the issue and termed the recruitment condition as exploitation and humiliation of youth struggling for a monthly emolument of Rs 5,000 fixed by the state government for ‘Pashu Mitras’. Anita Sharma, president of the Samarpan Association, a women empowerment NGO of Kangra district said that the department had corrected its disgraceful error by withholding the harsh physical test condition, especially for women candidates aged between 18 and 45 years.