JAJARKOT, April 2: Soniya Budha, a local of Dasharatpur, Surkhert is a 12th grader at Tribhuvan Higher Secondary School of Khalanga. She has to sit for her final examinations scheduled to begin on April 23.But without giving much priority to the exams, Budha has applied at the District Police Office to get hired as temporary police.
Due to extreme poverty and unemployment in her family, she finds herself forced to apply for the job as temporary police for the upcoming local polls. "I will sit for the exams next year after earning some money from the temporary job," she said, "I have to attend the training for temporary police from Tuesday. So I can't take the final exams."
Budha is not the sole applicant for the job of temporary police from her school. Naresh Prakash Gharti of Bheri Municipality is another 12th grader from the same school who has applied for the same job and is willing to 'boycott' the exams.
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"The economic condition of my family is very weak. I don't have other options. So, I have decided to miss the exams this year," Gharti said.
There are many students who have stopped preparing for the exams to work as temporary police, according to Gharti. "Most of the applicants are students who have passed the exams of the Secondary Education Examination and are studying at the 11th and 12th grades,” he said.
Karuna Budha Magar of Wareko Rural Municipality has also postponed her preparations for the 11the grade for the same job.
"There is not any option for me to make some money, other than this opportunity. I am applying for temporary police job. I will participate in the exams after the polls," he said. "I also hope that the exams for Grade 11 may be deferred in view of the elections happening across the country."
Civil society activist Rajendra Bikram Shah said that this situation reflects the reality of the current society where students are being forced to leave their studies to fulfill their basic needs.
According to Bhawesh Rimal, chief of the District Police Office, they have accepted around 1,973 applications, from which they have to recruit only 600 as temporary police for the purpose of the elections.
