A number of candidates appearing in a written test for the positions of Bio Chemistry lecturers at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) on Saturday condemned the UVAS administration on holding the test near Eid holidays.
Female candidates from other districts of Punjab especially faced difficulty commuting because of a rush at public transport. They said it was inconsiderate of the varsity administration to hold the test without taking into account the transport problem near Eid. Many female candidates who were accompanied by their family members said they were forced to stay in private hotels and were unable to get the tickets even on Sunday because of non-availability of buses and trains. Same was the case with numerous other candidates coming from different parts of the province.
A candidate from Southern Punjab seeking anonymity said because of the prevalent unemployment, she and her friends had applied for the positions but the odd test schedule caused them a lot of inconvenience. She said: “Was not it possible for the UVAS administration to arrange the test after Eid? We had no option of missing the chance as we do not have jobs and need employment.”
She asked the Punjab chief minister to inquire into the matter and questions the UVAS administration for such inconsiderate move. A female candidate’s mother said her family was worried as it would get harder to book tickets in the coming days. She said she had visited every bus station for the tickets but had failed.
A UVAS faculty member seeking anonymity said the vice chancellor had approved the test schedule and only he could tell the logic of holding a test at this time of the year. He said although the university was still open and Eid holidays had not started, it was an unwise move to hold the test before Eid.
The UVAS is the only university to hold written tests for recruitment. The administration had sent call letters to applicants last week despite the fact that Eid holidays were approaching and most academic institutes in the province were already about to close down so that students, faculty and staff could celebrate Eid in their hometowns.
