VELLORE: Of the 5,000 candidates vying for 22 vacant Animal Husbandry Assistant' (AHA) posts in Vellore, over half include postgraduates and IT employees. The only qualifications for the post are basic cattle-handling skills and studying up to class X (pass or fail).
The reasons for the competition over the post vary from job security, settling in their hometown to less competition. Around 800 candidates took part in the recruitment on Monday. The hiring process for the post offered by the Department of Animal Husbandry began on April 5 (Tuesday) in Vellore. It will be conducted till April 11 (Monday).
"Half of them are graduates. But the job's requirement is very basic, which is cattle handling and assisting veterinary surgeons," Dr J Navaneethakrishnan, Regional Joint Director (RJD), Animal Husbandry, told TNIE.
According to a 28-year-old developer of an IT firm in Chennai, who spoke to TNIE requesting anonymity," I am giving it a shot because it is a government job and that it offers job security." It does not matter if my qualifications and the nature of my job mismatch, I just want to settle down and be in my hometown, he added.
Another candidate with a class XII qualification said, "There is too much competition for government jobs. Even at a basic level like this position, we are competing with overqualified candidates which dim our prospects."
Navaneethakrishnan said the recruitment was called for in 2015. It was cancelled a few times in the last seven years and Covid-19 caused delays as well.
Ranipet has 22 vacancies and 3,500 candidates are competing for the post. Meanwhile, Tirupattur has 23 vacancies with 3,100 candidates eyeing the job. The recruitment for Ranipet and Tirupattur districts will take place from April 19 to 23 and April 26 to 30 respectively and it will be conducted in respective districts, he said.
Several female candidates are taking part in the recruitment as well.