Under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Punjab is grappling with a multifaceted crisis. On one hand, the state’s economy is in deep trouble, and the drugs menace continues to fester; on the other, key recruitment processes have been marred by irregularities. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the recruitment of Pharmacy Officers and a selection process under the Punjab State Rural Livelihoods Mission (PSRLM).
Punjab and Haryana High Court stays selection process for 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators under PSRLM
In January 2026, the Punjab State Rural Livelihoods Mission (PSRLM) under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats issued a recruitment notification for posts of 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators.
The advertised exam process contemplated 100 marks, including 70 for the written exam and 30 apportioned among interview, educational qualifications, and experience.
However, the process triggered outrage over allegations of non-disclosure of head-wise marks and failure to award marks for experience and educational qualifications, as stated in the advertisement.
The process was then challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The petitioners alleged that the results of the exam for posts of 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators under PSRLM showed only aggregate or limited heads, 70 for written + 10 for interview, without contemporaneous record for the other components.
In fact, it has been alleged that even the selection notice itself lacked proper authentication, including signature or seal.
Hearing the matter in late July, Justice Sandeep Moudgil had noted that the respondents failed to produce before the court any contemporaneous record indicating that marks under the heads of the educational qualification and experience had been awarded.
The High Court ordered an independent, court-monitored scrutiny of the entire exam process. The original recruitment records were taken into custody, and a committee with amicus curiae was formed after finding the omissions went “to the very root of the recruitment process”.
The court raised serious concerns over the PSRLM recruitment process’s fairness, transparency, and legality.
“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,” Justice Moudgil said during the July hearing of the matter.
“This court had also noticed that the result/selection notice was not duly authenticated by any competent authority by way of signature or official seal. Consequently, the respondents were directed to produce the complete original recruitment record before this court,” he added.
Now, after the committee’s report was submitted and perused on or around 12-13 August, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the selection process of 41 Block Programme Managers and 44 Cluster Coordinators under PSRLM.
“The further proceedings in the selection process shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing as prima facie certain anomalies and ambiguities have been noticed in the manner of awarding marks under different heads to the candidates…” Justice Moudgil said.
This is the second major state recruitment process in Punjab to have been stayed by the Punjab and Haryana Court this year over alleged irregularities.
The AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has failed to prevent cheating and anomalies in recruitment processes in Punjab, while the AAP claims to champion students’ rights.
Punjab HC stays Pharmacy Officer recruitment
In June 2026, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) in Faridkot issued an advertisement for 454 Group-C Pharmacist or Pharmacy Officer posts under the Punjab government’s Department of Health and Family Welfare. On 19th July, the written examination was held, wherein around 7,000 candidates appeared across 25 centres.
As reported earlier, the cheating incident during the examination came to light after the university’s flying squads detected candidates using sophisticated electronic devices at several examination centres. The candidates were caught and handed over to the police.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered under relevant BNS sections. The Police then arrested 7 conspirators and 28 candidates. The cheating racket was led by Gurmeet Singh, an employee of Sant Kabir Polytechnic College in Fazilka. The gang was charging candidates Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 13 lakh for ‘guaranteed success’.
Soon after, one Keshav Kamboj and others approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking cancellation of the 19th July written examination as well as all consequential steps, including evaluation, result and appointments.
The petitioners contended that the entire Pharmacy Officers recruitment process was vitiated, violating Articles 14 and 16 (equality and equal opportunity in public employment) of the Indian Constitution.
In response to the plea, the High Court issued a notice on 28th July and directed that the further selection process would be subject to the outcome of this petition. The AAP government in Punjab had sought time to reply.
In view of these developments, on 10th August, the High Court ordered that the appointment process “shall remain stayed till the next date of hearing.”
The next hearing will take place on 17th September.
AAP-CJP hyperactive against BJP government over NEET paper leak, slip into selective hibernation over anomalies in recruitment processes in Punjab
Just a few weeks back, the country’s national capital, New Delhi, witnessed a massive protest that also turned violent. The protest, though steeped in anti-BJP politics, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, was described as a ‘student protest’ and apolitical in nature.
The CJP claimed that it stands with students and demands accountability from the authorities. The protest had received the backing of major anti-BJP parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party.
OpIndia reported earlier how former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders shared the stage with CJP founder and former AAP functionary Abhijeet Dipke, portraying himself as the biggest well-wisher of students and job seekers; however, the reality of his concerns reflects in the state of affairs in the state his party rules.
One after the other, irregularities have been reported in major recruitment exams in Punjab. However, the AAP has either spoken up only to deflect attention by claiming that there was no ‘paper leak’ in pharmacy officers’ recruitment, or has remained silent.
Even as the Punjab government faces criticism for dodging accountability, the Cockroach Janta Party has largely remained silent. Apparently, their outrage to advocate rights for students and youth, and demand accountability are reserved for cases wherein they get to target the BJP governments.
Their silence, however, is not surprising given that the CJP demonstrated its double standards during the ongoing Jharkhand Student Protests. In Jharkhand, students have been protesting against the JMM-Congress alliance government over paper leaks and systemic irregularities.
The CJP maintained convenient silence over the Jharkhand protest given it is not a BJP-ruled state. The CJP leaders spoke up only after widespread criticism. However, their ‘support’ to the Jharkhand student protestors is performative. For Jharkhand, the CJP leaders are at least dropping social media posts; however, in the case of Punjab, they have, so far, turned a blind eye. No wonder the CJP is often called the B-Team of the Aam Aadmi Party.
