Jaipur, Sep 20: The ongoing Grade IV (peon) recruitment in Rajasthan has highlighted the desperation among youth to secure government jobs at any cost. Among the lakhs of overqualified candidates appearing for the exam, a B.Tech-qualified engineer was caught cheating in Jaipur on Saturday.
During the first shift, the candidate was found using a smartwatch to cheat. He had photographed the question paper and sent it outside the exam centre via WhatsApp. Police registered an FIR at Ashok Nagar police station and seized the smartwatch used in the malpractice.
SHO Kishan Kumar said that the accused, identified as 25-year-old Ravi Jhajharia from Khandela in Sikar district, was arrested while appearing for the Grade IV recruitment exam at Mahatma Gandhi Government School, Ashok Nagar.
Investigations revealed that Jhajharia had smuggled the smartwatch hidden in his undergarments. Around 10:30 a.m. during the exam, he used it to capture images of the question paper and forward them. The invigilator noticed suspicious activity and alerted the police, who detained him and confiscated both the smartwatch and the mobile phone used to receive the paper.
Notably, more than 24.75 lakh candidates are competing for 53,749 posts. The examination is being held over three days in six shifts.
Officials said nearly 75 percent of the candidates are overqualified. Many, including postgraduates and degree holders, have expressed frustration over lack of employment opportunities in the private sector.
Nilesh Jangid from Kalota Pawai village, Jhunjhunu, said he has a master’s degree in chemistry and a B.Ed. but remains unemployed. Sunita Sharma from Srimadhopur, who holds a master’s in arts and a B.Ed., said: “How long will we struggle to earn just 5,000–10,000 rupees in the private sector? We also want stable government jobs, so despite being overqualified, I am appearing for this exam.”
