A Mumbai-based company has sparked online outrage after banning job seekers living in rented houses or paying guest accommodation (PG) from applying for jobs. The job application form has since gone viral – for all the wrong reasons.
A worksheet has gone viral on X
X user Abhinav shared a screenshot of the company’s job application form on X’s social media platform, sparking a heated debate about hiring practices and workplace ethics in India. The screenshot, which has now gone viral, showed that the eligibility criteria goes beyond educational qualifications to include residential status.
Residence status listed as an eligibility criterion
According to the form, only candidates with BE degree in Computer Science or IT were eligible to apply. However, it was the housing requirement that drew widespread criticism online.
Under ‘Document Requirements (Mandatory) for Eligibility’, applicants were asked to submit Aadhaar card corresponding to their current residential address in Mumbai along with PAN card.
A note at the bottom of the form clearly stated that candidates staying in rented or PG accommodation would be “not eligible”.
In the comments section, Abhinav clarified that the recruitment advertisement was shared during campus placements.
Social media users call the rule ‘unfair’
The job ad sparked strong backlash against X, with many users calling the requirement “unfair”. Several people speculated that the company may be trying to limit hiring to Mumbai locals to offer lower salaries.
“If the candidate lives with his parents in his own house, he does not have to pay rent. The company may offer a salary significantly lower than the market standard,” one user wrote, calling the ad a “red flag.”
Another user commented: “Maybe they can’t afford to pay enough per student to cover the accommodation, so they prefer locals.”
There were legal concerns
Some users pointed out that such a requirement could violate constitutional rights.
“Article 16 of the constitution doesn’t allow this. Few states have tried to do this and got rebuffs from the courts. This company may also get into legal trouble,” user X @JhaPravash21 commented.
Users say that recruiting “locals only” is not uncommon
Several X users claimed that “locals only” hiring clauses are not uncommon among Mumbai-based firms. Others urged Abhinav to publicly name and shame the company behind the controversial job list.
