While rejection of 20 per cent of the 1,50,000 applications has shocked candidates, C K Sachdev, secretary BSRB, said it was normal. ``This time more people were disqualified as we received more applications than usual,'' he said.

Agitated applicants, however, said it was not entirely their fault. They claimed the advertisement was ambiguous on the total amount to be sent with the application. Said Dhaku Mhasker whose son was disqualified, ``The advertisement mentioned in separate columns that Rs 30 and Rs 15 had to be paid. Since last year the fee was only Rs 30, we assumed that this time too it was the same and that the Rs 15 mentioned in the other column was for SCs/STs.''

Sachdev does not buy the argument. ``We had clearly mentioned thatapplicants should pay Rs 30 for the form and Rs 15 towards postage,'' he said. He added that not all 30,000 candidates were rejected for not paying the full amount. ``Though a majority of the rejections were for that reason, a few applicants were disqualified on other counts like age and incomplete forms,'' he explained.

A few applicants, meanwhile, have demanded that they should get back the Rs 30 they had paid to the board. ``If they won't allow us to sit for the exams due to a measly Rs 15, why should they keep our money with them?'' asked R K Shinde, an applicant.

Sachdev, however, said there was no reason why the board should refund the money. ``No government agency will return the money collected for application forms,'' he retorted.

But BSRB officials have agreed to hold talks with the Lokadhikar Samiti, a non-governmental agency, on Thursday on the issue. The Samiti has been asking the BSRB to reconsider its stand and allow those who had paid Rs 30 to take exams after paying the rest of theamount.