Home Guard Vacancies 2025: Around 8,000 to 9,000 candidates gathered at the Jamadarpali airstrip in Sambalpur, Odisha, to appear for a recruitment test for just 187 Home Guard posts, as captured in a viral video. The footage highlights India’s rising unemployment, with aspirants fiercely competing even for limited government positions. The candidates were seen seated in long, orderly lines across the airstrip, patiently awaiting the start of the examination.
The fact is that the number of applicants has been so large that many of them were found to be overqualified for the jobs available, which has led to discussions about the level of job scarcity that exists not only within Odisha but also within the entire country of India.
It is being pointed out that the scenario not only indicates the level of competition that exists among people looking to apply for government jobs, but also the problems of the overall employment environment that exists within the country, which leads people to apply even for basic jobs such as Home Guard.
Home Guard Vacancies 2025: Exam time and pattern
The recruiting exam started early in the morning at the Jamadarpali airfield. The reporting time was set at 6 a.m., with applicants allowed to reach the examination grounds at 9 a.m. Question papers were made available at 10:30 a.m. Applicants were granted 30 minutes to write a paragraph for 20 marks, followed by a one-hour general knowledge test worth 30 points.
There was a heavy presence of police officers, sub-inspectors, and more than 100 members of the home guard and traffic police to oversee the examination.
Home Guard Vacancies 2025: Salary details
The Home Guard job pays Rs 612 per day, or approximately Rs 18,360 per month. Despite the low salary and basic eligibility requirements, widespread participation mirrored the state's rising job shortage, particularly among educated youth.
The recruitment examination, organised by the Sambalpur police, was held for positions across 24 police stations, with duties including supporting police vehicle operations and basic computer tasks.
Home Guard Vacancies 2025: Educational Qualifications
The minimum educational qualification being only Class V, many candidates in the crowd held higher academic degrees, including engineering, MBA, MCA, diploma holders, ITI graduates, and computer science specialists, highlighting an alarming imbalance between skills and available jobs in the region.
