The controversy over the Punjab PCS Mains 2025 results intensified on Friday as Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded an independent investigation and a stay on the interview process. The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has rejected allegations of irregularities, saying the concerns arise from a misreading of centre-wise statistics.
Dhillon questioned the PPSC chairperson’s clarification that the alleged irregularities were based on statistical misinterpretations. He said a commission facing allegations could not independently give itself a clean chit and demanded a forensic audit of the examination process.
The BJP leader also questioned the reported clustering of successful candidates in particular examination rooms and the appearance of consecutive roll numbers among those who qualified. He demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the PCS and Pharmacist recruitment controversies, under the supervision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He also sought public access to examination records for forensic scrutiny.
Majithia, who appeared with affected candidates, raised questions over the selection of 751 candidates for interviews against 331 posts. Candidates, according to the report, questioned why the number of candidates was not three times the vacancies, and sought disclosure of the rules, category-wise qualifying marks and selection criteria used by the commission.
The candidates alleged that the roll numbers of 86 successful candidates appeared consecutively in 26 groups. They also claimed that 10 to 11 candidates out of 24 had qualified from some examination rooms. Majithia called for independent scrutiny of attendance registers, biometric records, seating plans, CCTV footage and examination results to establish whether the patterns reflected ordinary variation or a process-related problem.
Questions have also been raised about the evaluation of answer sheets, including alleged inconsistencies in marking and the qualifications and appointment criteria of examiners. The candidates further sought clarity on the Punjabi language requirement and alleged that some candidates may have received exemptions from the prescribed condition.
The PPSC has denied the allegations and said centre-wise data showed selection patterns that were ordinary statistical outcomes resulting from a misreading of the figures. The commission’s position directly conflicts with the opposition’s demand for an external audit and with the candidates’ call for access to examination records.
The dispute has broader implications for the credibility of public recruitment, particularly because the PCS examination is a gateway to state civil services. The controversy has also been linked politically to the earlier Pharmacist recruitment examination dispute, which Dhillon referred to while alleging that recruitment controversies had become recurrent under the Aam Aadmi Party government. The original report did not establish any finding of wrongdoing in the PCS examination.
Majithia said the SAD would create a group of affected candidates, collect evidence and consult legal experts before approaching the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He also said the party would raise the issue with the Punjab Governor and in Parliament. Dhillon warned of a protest if the government did not act, while Majithia appealed to opposition parties to join the demand for an impartial inquiry.
