AFTER INITIALLY stopping women candidates from taking the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) exam over lack of identity proof, the railway officials on Tuesday decided to take a more lenient approach towards married women, citing the Prime Minister's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign as a reason for the change in stance. With this move, scores of women candidates-even without valid identity proof-were allowed to enter exam halls at 26 different centres across Pune by merely signing a self-declared identity form. The RRB is conducting the exam for various posts like commercial apprentice, traffic apprentice, enquiry-cum-reservation clerk, goods guard, junior accountant, assistant-cum-typist, senior clerk-cum-typist, assistant station master, traffic assistant, senior time-keeper, among others. Around 92 lakh students from across the country are appearing for the online exam. [related-post] In Pune, over 10,000 students are appearing for the exam. Students from Solapur, Ahmednagar and even Marathwada have reached the city to take the exam. Officials said, since the exam is online and not many computers are available at a particular centre, it is being held over a span of 23 days. On day one of the exam, some of the married women candidates were turned away - from the IBMR centre in Chinchwad - as their names on the hall ticket did not match with that on the identity proof. "Some married women were carrying Aadhaar cards and driving licence as identity proofs. However, their names did not match with that on the hall tickets," said railway supervisor PJ Sadaphale. After a commotion, the officials at Chinchwad centre contacted officials in Pune, who in turn, contacted their seniors at the Rail Bhavan in New Delhi. Thereafter, the senior railway officials in Delhi directed the Pune officials to allow married women candidates to take the exam provided they submit a self-declaration form regarding their identity. The married women candidates who submitted the self-declaration were then allowed to appear for the exam. Jyotsna, a student who had come from Marathwada, said,"Initially, we were told that we would not be able allowed to take the exam, but the railway officials relented after we protested. It was actually my mistake. I forgot to bring my marriage certificate with me," she said. Railway officials said the most valid identity proof for students appearing for the exam is the pancard. "If the pancard has been made after marriage, it carries the names of husband and father. As a norm, the candidate has to submit the school marksheet while applying and it contains only the father's name. So during verification, if Aaadhar card or the driving licence is produced, then it leads to identity confusion as both these documents carry only husband's name and not the father's," officials said. Meanwhile, at the IBMR centre, students were seen struggling to find space to sit and study before the exam, which were being held in three sessions. However, an IBMR official said they had made proper arrangements for the students in the college canteen area.
