Engineering students demand recruitment of 4,600 posts vacant since 2019

The students’ demand centred around Junior Engineer (JE) Group-B positions in the Water Resources Department (WRD) for JE, and in the WCD for civil engineering posts. Recruitment in these departments was last done in 2019, despite approval for new hiring being granted in April 2023.

Students expressed concern over the department’s failure to publish advertisements for over 2,200 junior engineer posts, even as service entry rules continue to be revised, causing further delays in the selection process.

According to the students, more than 2,400 JE positions remain vacant, with an additional 1,500 posts approved under the new departmental structure sanctioned in June. The stalled recruitment has left thousands of qualified candidates in limbo, many of whom have been preparing for these examinations for years.

Congress State President Harshwardhan Sapkal also joined the protest through a video call, assuring support to the students.

The students’ frustration has been aggravated by what they describe as a series of hollow announcements. “Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan declared a recruitment drive in December 2024, promising to fill over 2,200 JE positions. Similarly, Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod declared on December 26 last year that 3,000 posts would be filled in their department,” said Andhale.

“However, these announcements have been followed by seven additional declarations between January and July, with the most recent coming on July 29. This is a betrayal of thousands of young engineers who have invested years in exam preparation,” added Andhale.