I recently went to Lahore for the PPSC exam and managed to talk to a few candidates who travelled all the way from Rawalpindi to Lahore, just to take the exam. Many of the aspirants were struggling with the cost of their trips, with even the cheapest places charging around Rs15000 just for three days. They also had to struggle to find transportation and figure out where in the city the exam centre was. This only compounded the mental and financial toll that the exam itself takes. The troubles did not end once the exam started as the exam halls lacked proper ventilation despite the scorching summer heat.
Due to these reasons, many could not give their absolute best in the written exam. Several of the registered candidates, who passed the screening test with strenuous efforts, could not even make it to Lahore because of economic constraints and cultural barriers. Most of them were girls, because most families do not allow women to travel alone. The relevant authorities should have anticipated and come up with some way to address these issues.
Dr Ayesha Khalid
Rawalpindi
