2 weeks ago
Punjab HC Stays Pharmacy Officer, PSRLM Recruitment Amid Irregularities
A judge in Punjab, India has stopped two big job selection processes because something went wrong.
For the first process, people applying for rural livelihood jobs said the results did not show all the marks they earned.
The judge also found that the official result papers did not carry a proper signature or stamp.
For the second process, people taking a pharmacy exam were caught cheating.
They were using hidden electronic devices during the test.
Police arrested the cheaters and also the people who planned the cheating scheme.
The planners were charging families a lot of money to help someone pass the exam.
The judge said the whole process must stop for now while officials check carefully.
This is to make sure jobs are given fairly to everyone.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the PSRLM selection of 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators over anomalies in awarding marks.
It also stayed the appointment process for 454 Group-C Pharmacy Officer posts advertised by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.
Cheating was detected during the 19 July 2026 pharmacy written exam when flying squads caught candidates using sophisticated electronic devices at several centres.
Police arrested seven conspirators and 28 candidates; the alleged racket, led by Sant Kabir Polytechnic College employee Gurmeet Singh, charged Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 13 lakh for guaranteed success.
The court criticised the PSRLM process for not disclosing head-wise marks and for an unauthenticated selection notice; the next hearing in the pharmacy case is set for 17 September.
- Who
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court (Justice Sandeep Moudgil), acting on petitions including one by Keshav Kamboj, against recruitments conducted by the Punjab State Rural Livelihoods Mission and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.
- What
- Stays on the PSRLM selection of 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators and on the appointment process for 454 Group-C Pharmacy Officer posts over alleged mark irregularities and exam cheating.
- Where
- Punjab, India; hearings before the Punjab and Haryana High Court; the pharmacy exam was conducted at 25 centres including Faridkot.
- When
- Stays were issued around 10-13 August 2026; the pharmacy written exam was held on 19 July 2026; the next hearing is on 17 September 2026.
- Why
- Alleged irregularities—non-disclosure of head-wise marks and an unauthenticated selection notice in the PSRLM process, and cheating with electronic devices through an alleged paid racket in the pharmacy exam.
Petitioners & Critics
Punjab Government & Ruling Party
Should the Pharmacy Officer exam be cancelled?
Petitioners & Critics
Petitioners argue the entire recruitment was vitiated by the cheating incident and seek cancellation of the exam, evaluation, results and appointments, citing violations of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
Punjab Government & Ruling Party
The Punjab government has sought time to reply and, per the article, deflected by claiming there was no 'paper leak' in the Pharmacy Officer recruitment, implying the process should not be derailed.
Political response to Punjab recruitment irregularities
Petitioners & Critics
Critics, as reported, accuse the AAP and the CJP of double standards—protesting loudly against the BJP government over the NEET paper leak while remaining silent or performative over recruitment anomalies in AAP-ruled Punjab.
Punjab Government & Ruling Party
AAP says it champions students' and job seekers' rights and has denied a paper leak in the Punjab pharmacy exam; the CJP reportedly only issued social media statements over similar issues in Jharkhand.
Key facts
- Court
- Punjab and Haryana High Court
- PSRLM posts stayed
- 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators
- Pharmacy posts
- 454 Group-C Pharmacist/Pharmacy Officer posts
- Recruiting body (pharmacy)
- Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, for Punjab's Department of Health and Family Welfare
- Pharmacy exam date
- 19 July 2026; about 7,000 candidates at 25 centres
- Arrests
- 7 conspirators and 28 candidates
- Alleged bribe range
- Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 13 lakh for 'guaranteed success'
- Next hearing
- 17 September 2026
Quotes
Justice Sandeep Moudgil
Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court
“"Prima facie, this court had noticed that although the advertisement contemplated evaluation under separate heads, namely, written examination, interview, educational qualification and experience, the result declared by the respondents did not disclose the marks awarded under the latter components."”
opindia.com
Sources
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