26 August,2026 03:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector Group-B posts under the Food and Drug Administration Department following a preliminary inquiry into alleged malpractice in the screening examination held earlier this year.
The commission decided on Tuesday to conduct a fresh examination, saying the move was necessary to ensure that all candidates receive a fair and equal opportunity and to protect confidence in its recruitment process.
The cancellation means that even candidates who cleared the screening examination and appeared for interviews will have to take the fresh examination. Of the candidates who progressed through the recruitment process, 485 had been found eligible for appointment.
The decision follows complaints received by the MPSC regarding alleged irregularities in the screening examination conducted on March 22.
According to the commission, the complaints alleged that some candidates had received the question paper or questions before the examination and that the material was subsequently circulated through social media and other electronic platforms.
The recruitment process had begun with an advertisement issued on July 29, 2025. The screening examination was conducted offline at six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra on March 22.
The result was declared on June 12, with 506 candidates found eligible to appear for interviews.
Of the 506 candidates eligible for the interview stage, 488 appeared for interviews held between July 1 and July 22.
Following completion of the interviews, the MPSC published a provisional general merit list containing 488 candidates. The list included 485 candidates who were found eligible for appointment and three candidates who were declared ineligible.
However, complaints regarding the screening examination reached the commission between July 22 and July 26. They were submitted through email by some candidates as well as public representatives.
The complaints alleged that certain candidates had obtained the examination material before the test and that questions or the question paper were subsequently circulated through electronic platforms.
Taking note of what it described as the seriousness and sensitivity of the allegations, the MPSC approached the Mumbai Police Commissioner on July 27 and requested an inquiry.
A preliminary investigation was subsequently carried out by the Crime Investigation Branch of the Mumbai Police.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Investigation Branch, submitted the preliminary inquiry report to the MPSC, following which the commission considered the findings before taking a decision on the recruitment process.
According to the findings cited in the MPSC statement, the police inquiry prima facie indicated that one candidate had received the question set before the examination and benefited from having access to it.
The commission said it considered the seriousness of the findings while deciding to cancel the recruitment process.
The MPSC said the decision was necessary to protect the credibility of its examination system and ensure fairness among candidates. It also stressed the importance of maintaining the confidentiality, transparency and impartiality of its recruitment examinations.
Candidates who were eligible to appear for the fresh examination will not have to submit their applications again.
The MPSC has also decided not to charge an examination fee for the re-examination, providing administrative relief to candidates who had already gone through the recruitment process.
The date and detailed schedule for the fresh examination will be announced separately through a subsequent notification.
The cancellation effectively nullifies the recruitment process initiated under advertisement number 116/2025, including the screening examination, its results and the subsequent interview process.
The decision has also drawn questions from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), with party leader Sandeep Deshpande questioning the government's response to the alleged paper leak.
"When the government knew that the paper got leaked why was an FIR not registered in this case immediately?" he asked.
Deshpande also claimed that a coaching class owner from Nandurbar in north Maharashtra was believed to be behind the alleged paper leak.
"He was sent a notice but not arrested. He later fled," Deshpande claimed.
The allegation has not been established by the police inquiry findings cited by the MPSC.
The MPSC's decision comes after the Drug Inspector recruitment process had already progressed to its final stages, with hundreds of candidates clearing the screening examination and nearly 500 appearing for interviews.
However, the commission said the preliminary findings of the police inquiry made it necessary to cancel the process rather than proceed with appointments.
(With inputs from PTI)
