2 min readShimlaMar 16, 2026 11:19 AM ISTFollowing widespread criticism, the Himachal Pradesh Department of Animal Husbandry has scrapped the controversial "sandbag run" for the recruitment of 500 Pashu Mitras (para-veterinary workers).(File Photo)The Department of Animal Husbandry, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday issued a fresh notification and amended the Pashu Mitra recruitment rules wherein the candidates will no longer be required to carry heavy sacks while running.This comes after the government received flak over its decision where it’s mandatory for candidates to run 100 meters carrying a 25 kg sack full of wet sand. This was to check the physical endurance for the applicants for the 500 posts of Pashu Mitras (para-veterinary workers).Under the revised norms, male candidates will now have to complete a 5-km run within 30 minutes, while female candidates must complete a 1,500-metre run within 10 minutes.Director of the Animal Husbandry department Sanjeev Kumar Dhiman told The Indian Express, “We revised the rules… Now, the candidates will have no need to run carrying a 25 kg heavy sack. Candidates, who had appeared in the earlier held test at three locations, will not need to appear in the physical tests, which will happen as per the new rules. In the earlier held tests, around 90 per cent of the applicants including men and women had cleared the physical test. The merit will be also judged on the basis of their marks in the metric exam. The age limit for candidates is between 18 and 45 years.”On February 9, a video of the recruitment test for ‘Pashu Mitra’ was shared widely which triggered an outrage. The video showed a woman participant dressed in a jeans and full sleeve t-shirt who lost her balance in the 100-metre run while carrying a 25 kg sack. But she got up in a devastated condition and completed the race along with other participants at Dharampur in Mandi district.A week after the incident, the department reluctantly decided to put the entire recruitment on hold until the formation of a new Set of Procedure (SOP) on February 16.Pashu Mitras (para-veterinary workers) is fourth-class category temporary job wherein the successful recruitment candidates have to give duty merely for four hours during the working days and will be given a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Shimla