Satna: Thousands of candidates across Madhya Pradesh faced disappointment and frustration after the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB) was forced to cancel the second shift of the Forest Guard, Field Guard, Jail Guard, and Assistant Jail Superintendent recruitment examination due to a major server failure. The disruption, which occurred on June 7, left candidates waiting for hours at examination centres before authorities announced that the exam had been postponed.
The second shift examination was scheduled to take place from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. However, technical issues prevented the exam from commencing at several centres across the state. Candidates reportedly waited for nearly three hours before receiving official confirmation that the examination had been cancelled. MPESB later announced that the postponed examination would now be conducted on June 20, and affected candidates would be required to download fresh admit cards.
The incident sparked widespread anger among candidates, many of whom had travelled long distances to appear for the recruitment test. Several aspirants expressed frustration over the loss of time, money, and effort invested in preparing for the examination. Reports from multiple centres indicated that many candidates were visibly upset, with some breaking down in tears after learning that the examination would not be conducted as scheduled.
Among those affected was Dharmendra Dubey, a candidate from Dindori district, who had travelled to Satna a day in advance. Dubey said he incurred travel and accommodation expenses and also lost wages from his work as a mechanic. He questioned who would compensate candidates for the financial burden caused by the sudden cancellation.
Similar grievances were reported by candidates from districts including Mandla, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Jabalpur, Ratlam, Dhar, and Mandsaur. Many aspirants argued that recurring technical glitches in recruitment examinations were creating unnecessary hardships for young job seekers who spend months preparing for competitive tests.
In Satna, where three examination centres had been established—two at Aditya Engineering College and one at Meera Convent Higher Secondary School—the first shift examination was conducted successfully from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. However, the second shift was disrupted by the server failure. Around 500 candidates in the city reportedly returned home disappointed after waiting for several hours.
The cancellation also led to protests at some examination centres. At Aditya College in Satna, candidates staged demonstrations and demanded accountability for the disruption. A foot march to the Collectorate was organised under the leadership of NSUI State Secretary Anand Pandey. Protesters submitted a memorandum to local authorities, calling for action against officials responsible for the technical failure and seeking compensation for the financial losses suffered by candidates.
The administration assured the protesters that their concerns would be forwarded to higher authorities for consideration. However, candidates continued to express dissatisfaction, arguing that the inconvenience extended beyond financial losses and included significant mental stress.
In Ratlam, more than 200 candidates reportedly waited for hours before being informed that the examination had been cancelled. Student leader Mahesh Malviya criticised the handling of the situation and called for improvements in the examination system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The disruption has raised broader concerns about the technical preparedness of recruitment examinations conducted by government agencies. Candidates and student organisations have demanded stronger infrastructure, better contingency planning, and effective monitoring systems to ensure that technical failures do not derail important examinations.
MPESB has advised affected candidates to keep track of official notifications regarding the rescheduled examination and to download revised admit cards before appearing for the test on June 20.
