The political controversy over the ongoing recruitment drive of Nepal Army (NA) is one thing, but the response from youths to its vacancy announcement has been fairly huge. According to the Directorate of Public Relations of the NA, 57,513 applications were filed for 3,464 positions including 250 officer-level positions. 8,703 applicants turned up for 250 officer-level positions including 791 women while 48,810 applications were filed for other positions. This was for the first time the NA allocated reserved seats for women, indigenous community, Dalits, Madhesis and backward regions. Of the 250 officer-level positions, 22 positions were allocated for women, 36 for indigenous community, 32 for Madhesis, 17 for Dalits and 6 for backward regions. However, the response from Madhesis to the army job was the poorest with only 187 applications received for 154 officer cadets while there were 999 applications for 404 other positions. The number of applications from indigenous people, women, Dalits and backward regions was 1287, 791, 187 and 105 respectively. The NA collected Rs. 16.93 million revenue from the applications, according to the DPR. The NA had published vacancy notices on August 2 following the Supreme Court ruling that quashed a writ petition against its fresh recruitment drive. The recruitment drive started amid dispute with the UCPN (Maoist) opposing it, saying the NA misinterpreted the apex court ruling which stated that the issue should be settled through the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC), an UNMIN-chaired body which comprises representatives from both the NA and the Maoist army. The Maoists had also threatened to start recruitment in their People's Liberation Army (PLA) if the NA did not stop the process.