Mumbai Police recruitment drive: ‘How do we know if a candidate has underlying conditions?’

Joint Commissioner S Jaykumar explains the difficulties of conducting mass recruitment drives and the responsibilities candidates must take themselves

In the past few weeks, the recruitment drive for posts of motor drivers in the Mumbai police has seen the death of two candidates post the physical test. In an interview with mid-day in the aftermath of the deaths, the city’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) S Jaykumar explains that despite the allotment in specific slots, candidates continue to show up early. In such a scenario, they cannot be forced to return. 

Jaykumar further said that the training centres have maximum arrangements for emergencies, but they are not able to stem the tide of hundreds of candidates who stay before or beyond their slots. The interview also reveals that there is no provision under recruitment for vital medical tests of candidates.

Read on for a complete account of the interview:

This year, two candidates — Ganesh Ugale from Washim and Amar Solanke from Amravati — died after a physical test. This has happened every alternate year. The candidates have claimed that the lack of facilities at the Kalina centre is to blame. 
We have arranged sufficient facilities like toilets, water and sleeping tents at all recruitment centres. During the earlier days of the recruitment drive, candidates sleeping on the roads or on the footpath were informed about the facilities and asked to rest inside the grounds at Kalina.

S Jaykumar, JCP (Admin)

Yet candidates continue to sleep on the median at Kalina?
We call all candidates according to their slots. Many come in early. We can’t stop them from coming early or a day before. We are also informing them to sleep inside the LA (Local Arms unit) at Kalina, but we cannot force them. All facilities are available at LA Kalina.

Also Read: Mumbai: Police recruitment candidates get some relief but shelter, toilets remain an issue

Are candidates called in according to their slots? If they know their slots, they would not have to sleep on the road.
We are calling candidates in slots. We have two slots daily. The first slot is from 5 am to 10 am. During these five hours, we test 1,000 candidates according to hall tickets. The second slot is from 10 am to 12 pm. Noon onwards, considering the hot sun and safety of the candidates, we do not conduct tests. The second slot resumes at 4 pm and continues till all candidates have given their test. However, despite having these slots, candidates from other slots hang around the centre right from early morning.

Can the groups of 1,000 candidates be divided into smaller ones? This may help decongest the centres
We cannot do this as many candidates do not turn up. If we create a slot of 200 candidates and only a few turn up, the slot time will be wasted. We do not want to waste the recruitment hours and other candidates’ time.
 
What services are deployed at the centre to attend to emergencies?
We have deployed doctors at the finishing line of the 1,600-metre running test and have also kept ambulances. If any candidate faces trouble breathing or collapses, they get medical treatment on the spot. We have also arranged for shaded areas near a 600-metre running track. We are doing our best to ensure that all emergency services are made available to avoid untoward incidents.

According to cardiologists, it is recommended to conduct an ECG, 2D Echo, and blood pressure tests before starting physical tests like the ones done at recruitment to avoid casualties. Why are these tests not done? It may save candidates who are not physically capable.
While we have a team of doctors and ambulances ready, these tests are not mentioned in our recruitment criteria. If we were to check 100 candidates, I am sure at least 40 will have low oxygen levels and many candidates’ BP will be low or high. This method cannot be used to assess physical fitness. All candidates who come for the recruitment look physically fit, but we can’t know if they are suffering from a disease.

But if at least the oxygen level and BP are checked, one would get an idea of the candidate’s health, and untoward incidents may be avoided.
Yes, but this does not come under police recruitment criteria. If we conduct the test and despite everything the candidate collapses, who will be responsible? The doctor will be blamed too. This is not feasible. Each candidate must also take responsibility for themselves and decide whether to run or not. We ask candidates before taking the test whether or not they want to run.

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