Bhubaneswar: The state unit of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has urged the state government to postpone the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) Mains examination in view of the disruptions caused by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent flooding in several districts.
However, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari has ruled out any postponement, saying a fresh examination schedule could delay the process by another six months. In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday, NSUI state president Bibhu ti Bhusan Mohapatra sought his urgent intervention, highlighting the difficulties faced by OPSC Mains aspirants, particularly those from Ganjam and other cyclone- and flood-affected districts.
The student organisation pointed out that severe flooding, power outages, disrupted internet connectivity and unsafe transportation had deprived many candidates of crucial preparation time and caused considerable mental stress.
While acknowledging the government’s decision to arrange transportation for candidates, Mohapatra said the move would not compensate for lost revision time, disturbed sleep, family responsibilities and the difficult circumstances in which aspirants were expected to appear for the examination.
“Clearing the Preliminary examination is the result of years of hard work, and candidates should not lose their hard-earned opportunity because of an unforeseen natural disaster,” he said in the letter.
The NSUI urged the government to postpone the Mains examination until essential services and safe connectivity were restored, provide candidates with a reasonable preparation period and announce a comprehensive revised timetable.
It also sought an assessment of the difficulties faced by aspirants in severely affected districts. However, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari ruled out the possibility of postponing the examination. “If the examination is postponed once, it will take another six months to conduct it,” Pujari said.