HUBBALLI
Once a bustling hub for government job aspirants, Dharwad’s 24x7 libraries now wear a deserted look as candidates vacate hostels and PGs due to the lack of fresh job notifications.
The internal reservation issue for Scheduled Castes has stalled recruitments, affecting thousands of students preparing for competitive exams. The 24x7 library model, first adopted in Delhi, gained popularity in Dharwad around 2019. With nearly 300 libraries functioning in the district, students from across North Karnataka—including Haveri, Gadag, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Bidar, and Kalaburagi—flocked to Dharwad.
However, with no recruitment drive initiated over the past year, footfalls have dropped drastically. Many libraries have been forced to shut down or reduce operating hours.
D. Siddhartha, an aspirant from Chitradurga, said, “We had a good study environment in Dharwad. But after the Congress government came to power, no notifications were issued. This has left aspirants demoralised, especially those aiming for police department jobs who are worried about age restrictions.”
He pointed out that over 50,000 posts remain vacant across departments such as education and public service. “We want the government to resolve the internal reservation issue and immediately release job notifications,” he added.
Anil Kumar, who has been preparing for competitive exams for the last five years, echoed similar frustration. “We’ve invested years of our lives. The current delay has shattered the hopes of many,” he said.
Unless the government addresses the bottlenecks in recruitment, Dharwad’s dream of becoming a centre for aspirants may fade away.