CHANDIGARH, Nov 5 — A political storm has broken out in Punjab over the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) Mains examination results declared by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) late on Wednesday, November 4, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alleging widespread irregularities and demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The PPSC's result notice, dated November 4, provisionally shortlisted 751 candidates for the interview stage for recruitment to 331 posts through the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination-2025.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

The allegations, as made by aspirants and the opposition

Aspirants and opposition leaders allege that the roll-number-wise shortlist shows striking patterns. A document circulated by aspirants identifies 26 groups of consecutive roll numbers accounting for 86 shortlisted candidates, in runs of three, four and six, NewsNation reported. Aspirants further allege that at Centre No. 7, Room No. 8, as many as 11 of the 24 candidates in the room cleared the examination, and that some roll numbers in the shortlist allegedly belong to candidates who did not appear for the Mains at all. These are allegations raised by candidates and opposition parties; the PPSC has not been reported confirming any irregularity, and no investigating agency has announced a finding.

Source: NewsNation

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, addressing a press conference on Thursday, alleged that candidates whose roll numbers were not even registered to appear for the examination had been selected, that 24 to 25 per cent of the selected candidates came from a single examination centre located in an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA's constituency, and that the standard procedure of calling three times the number of candidates for interviews was not followed, ANI reported. Bhandari also pointed to the long delay, saying the PCS Mains examination was last held in 2020 and its results had not been declared for more than two years. He demanded a CBI probe, calling the alleged racket a 'paper leak mafia' — his allegation, attributed to him.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

Chugh writes to the Governor; Jakhar says 'PCS exam hijacked'

BJP MP Tarun Chugh has written to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking immediate intervention, an independent CBI investigation, a stay on interviews and further selection proceedings until the probe is complete, and the securing of answer scripts, question papers, evaluation records, CCTV footage, attendance registers and digital evidence, ANI reported. Chugh claimed 24.21 per cent of the shortlisted candidates belonged to a single examination centre and demanded a forensic and statistical audit covering answer-key evaluation, roll-number allocation, centre selection and result preparation.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has also demanded a CBI investigation, questioning how 10 to 11 candidates could be shortlisted from certain examination rooms and how 86 shortlisted candidates appeared in groups of consecutive roll numbers; The Tribune carried the row under the headline 'PCS exam hijacked': Jakhar questions PPSC mains result, seeks CBI probe. Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh has separately demanded answers from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the alleged irregularities and questioned the transparency of the state's evaluation and recruitment process, WION reported.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Aspirants seek an independent probe; AAP rejects the charges

Candidates have submitted a memorandum to the President, the Prime Minister, the Punjab Chief Minister and the CBI seeking an independent investigation, including into the reported concentration of shortlisted candidates from particular examination rooms and centres, and have indicated they may approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court if their concerns are not addressed, NewsNation reported.

Source: NewsNation

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has dismissed the allegations as baseless and fabricated, maintaining that more than 75,000 government jobs have been given strictly on merit under the Bhagwant Mann government and that the evaluation process has full integrity, according to India Today reporting carried by News89. The AAP response, as reported, did not address the specific roll-number patterns cited by aspirants.

Source: India Today via News89