Bhubaneswar, Nov. 4: The state government will hold entrance tests and select candidates, who will finally take part in the job fair, as part of the proposed special recruitment drive.

A group of experts will frame the questions and there will be separate entrance tests for different streams — BTech, MBA and BPharma. The date of the job fair is yet to be finalised.

“We have had a meeting with the industries department and urged various industries and corporate houses to take part in the drive,” said a technical education department official.

The fair, earlier scheduled on September 17, was postponed for a post-Diwali date. The drive was supposed to be the first such initiative by the technical education department to absorb unemployed technical graduates of the state.

Technical education secretary Chandra Sekhar Kumar said the department was trying to get in more recruiters for the drive.

As many as 40,346 students have registered for the drive, including 32,791 BTech students, 900 MTech, 281 MCA, 3,800 MBA, 468 BPharma and 106 MPhrama students.

“I am desperately waiting for the dates, so that I can take part in the drive. There are hardly any good companies coming to our college and all my hopes are on this drive. Since it’s a government one, we will not be duped by fake companies at least. But, the government should not delay further,” said Asish Senapati, a student.

The department has allowed students from private universities as well to take part in the drive.