Ramgarh: For 32-year-old widow Kavita Kumari, the road to a govt job has suddenly become a little easier — and far more comfortable.Days after a video of her running barefoot in a sari went viral, Kavita reported for practice at Sidhu-Kanhu Ground in a tracksuit, T-shirt and sports shoes gifted by Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto. The new gear, she said, has given fresh momentum to her preparations for the upcoming home guard recruitment drive. TOI reported on Wednesday about the women aspirants preparing for the drive in saris and slippers.“Running in a tracksuit, T-shirt and sports shoes is much more comfortable than running in a sari,” Kavita said after completing her training session on Wednesday.A resident of Soso village in Dulmi block, Kavita has been clocking the 1.6-km run in 6 minutes 45 seconds — well within the 8-minute qualifying benchmark — despite practising without proper footwear. Coaches at Ramgarh Fitness Academy said her timing was already excellent and could improve further with regular training and equipment.Kavita, wife of the late Deepak Kumar, is among thousands of candidates competing for 284 home guard posts in Ramgarh. The recruitment has sparked particular interest among rural women, with 50% reservation for women and an additional 5% for widows and divorced women.For Kavita, the job is more than employment. She and her widowed sister-in-law, Sarita Kumari, care for their elderly in-laws after the deaths of the family’s two sons. “Our hope is in our daughters-in-law. We pray both succeed,” said Kavita’s father-in-law, Mahesh Mahto.
