Lack of affordable accommodation or reluctance to spend just for one night?
Mysuru, June 4 – Hundreds of candidates appearing for the Agniveer (Technical) Army recruitment online examination at Hebbal in Mysuru have been forced to sleep on roads at night due to a lack of affordable accommodation around Hebbal area.
Others who could afford accommodation told Star of Mysore that most of the affordable stay options are located within Mysuru city and its surrounding areas. They said that if they chose to stay there, they would also have to incur additional travel expenses to reach the examination centre, which is located at a considerable distance.
The Agniveer recruitment rally has been underway in Mysuru since June 1 and will continue till June 12. While candidates are able to access food at local eateries, there are no arrangements for overnight stay, leaving many aspirants in difficult conditions.
In the absence of designated rest facilities, candidates have been seen sleeping on pavements in Hebbal and surrounding areas, including near garbage bins and roadside shrubs. Several aspirants said, the lack of basic amenities, particularly toilets, has made their stay extremely difficult.
The situation has also raised concerns among residents and civic groups over the lack of sanitation arrangements for candidates staying outdoors.
Area residents have questioned whether the issue stems from a lack of affordable accommodation or a reluctance among candidates to spend on a single night’s stay.
They have called for at least dormitory-type accommodation, saying basic facilities such as toilets and bathing spaces are necessary. They said, leaving candidates to manage hygiene needs in public spaces is neither practical nor right.
More than 800 candidates from different parts of Karnataka, including Dharwad, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Belagavi and other districts of north Karnataka, are taking part in the recruitment process.
Search for toilets
An aspirant from Vijayapura said that the conditions had been difficult despite his ambition to join the Army. “We’ve all been sleeping on the road. There are no proper facilities and we have to wake up at 5 am just to find a toilet,” he said, requesting anonymity.
The online examinations are being conducted at TCS iON Digital Zone in Hebbal Industrial Area near Bharat Cancer Hospital signal junction. Tests are held in four batches daily at 8.30 am, 11.30 am, 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm.
Some candidates said, they are unable to afford paid accommodation and have no option but to sleep on footpaths or outside closed shops after business hours.
“I got completely wet during the rain two days ago. There was nowhere to take shelter, so we had to stand in front of shops,” said a candidate from Bagalkot, adding that he had brought a blanket and bedsheet from home.
Sources said that while accommodation is usually provided for physical recruitment rounds, no such arrangements have been made for the online examination segment this time.
Media access to the exam centre was restricted and officials were not available for comment.
This post was published on June 4, 2026 7:30 pm