The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector, Group-B posts in the Food and Drug Administration Department following a preliminary inquiry into alleged malpractice in the screening examination held on March 22, 2026.The decision followed complaints received by the commission between July 22 and July 26 from candidates and public representatives. The complaints alleged that some candidates had obtained the question paper or questions before the examination, reportedly on March 20, with the material allegedly circulated through social media or electronic platforms.MPSC seeks police inquiry into examination allegationsAfter receiving the complaints, the MPSC lodged a complaint with Mumbai Police on July 27, requesting an investigation into the allegations. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Mumbai Police Commissioner’s Office, subsequently submitted a preliminary inquiry report to the commission.According to media reports, the inquiry found prima facie that one candidate had received the question set and benefited from it. The MPSC did not state that the entire examination paper had been leaked or that multiple candidates had benefited from the material.The commission said the cancellation was intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, transparency and impartiality of examinations conducted by the MPSC and maintain candidates’ confidence in the recruitment process.Fresh examination to be conducted for Drug Inspector postsThe MPSC will conduct the Drug Inspector, Group-B examination again. Candidates who had previously applied for the recruitment will not need to submit fresh applications for the re-examination. The commission will also not charge an additional examination fee.The date of the re-examination will be announced separately by the MPSC.Recruitment process had reached interview stageThe recruitment notification for the Drug Inspector posts was issued on July 29, 2025. The screening examination was conducted offline on March 22, 2026, at examination centres located in six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra.The MPSC declared the screening examination result on June 12, after which 506 candidates were shortlisted for interviews. Interviews were conducted between July 1 and July 22, with 488 candidates appearing.Following the interviews, the commission published a provisional general merit list containing the details of 488 candidates. The list included 485 candidates selected for the Drug Inspector post, while three candidates were declared ineligible.The cancellation now brings the recruitment process back to the examination stage, with the MPSC set to conduct a fresh screening examination for candidates who had applied earlier.
