Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I wish to express concern and disappointment shared by many aspirants regarding the abrupt changes introduced in the physical efficiency test (PET) criteria for the ongoing recruitment process.
One of the most significant changes is the omission of the ‘obstacle crossing of any six of the following’ task, which was previously a core and mandatory component of the PET. This obstacle challenge was not just physically demanding but also required months of dedicated training. Many of us sacrificed valuable study time and put in relentless efforts by waking early, enduring physical strain and pushing ourselves to build the core strength necessary to qualify this phase. Now, having cleared this difficult task, its sudden removal from the process feels like an injustice to all those who genuinely toiled to meet the original standard.
To add to this, new disqualifying criteria such as knock knees and squint eyes have been introduced at the last moment. These conditions in most cases can be addressed with timely medical intervention, therapy or corrective measures and should not be treated as outright grounds for disqualification, especially without prior notice.
Such last-minute changes demoralize sincere candidates who go by the rules framed prior to the start of requirement process. Rules made should not be changed in the last moment. Unfortunately, this is not the first time aspirants have been taken aback by sudden shifts. Past instances include abrupt changes in qualification cut-off marks (from 33% to 20%) and the enforcement of using only transparent, non-metallic pens, both of which were notified at the last minute and caused unnecessary confusion.
A recruitment process, especially one involving the aspirations and careers of thousands of young individuals, should uphold consistency, fairness and clarity from the beginning. We urge the commission to avoid such eleventh-hour decisions in the future and to restore faith in the system by adhering to a transparent and stable set of rules.
PET qualified candidate