S-I aspirants in Bihar die during tests

Saharsa Superintendent of Police Arvind Pandey said one of the job aspirants, P.K. Singh, collapsed during the last lap of the race on Tuesday. The death may have been caused by some cardiac problems, he said.

Anand Baitha died even before completing the second lap of the race in West Champaran. Eyewitnesses have been quoted as saying that Baitha lay unattended on the track for at least 10 minutes. In Patna, too, a candidate fell unconscious but recovered soon, Pandey said.

Following the deaths and protests by candidates, Chief Secretary K.A.H. Subramanian said the timings for the tests have been revised to 7-9 am and after 3 pm, to avoid the scorching sun.

Covering 1,600 meters in six minutes is the first screening tests for SI aspirants, and police officials say, the criterion has been the same since the British times. There have been earlier reports of nose-bleeding and candidates collapsing midway. But no relaxation has been made in the test, which recruiting officials say, would be over in a few days.

A large number of vacancies at the S-I level has been crippling the state police for a long time and the government had been avoiding new recruitments due to its financial mess.After the state came under President’s Rule, a go-ahead was given to the recruitment process.