The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has officially announced that the Punjab PCS Prelims exam for the Punjab Civil Services (PCS) will be held on October 26. This exam is being conducted to fill 322 government posts, including roles like Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tehsildar, Food and Civil Supplies Officer, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, among others.
The initial notification for the exam was issued on January 3 by the then PPSC chairman Jatinder Aulakh, with a tentative exam date in April. However, due to delays, the exam couldn’t be conducted at that time. Now, the new chairman, Major General Vinayak Saini (Retd), has confirmed the final date and assured that the exam process will be fair and transparent.
Around 85,000 candidates have applied for the 322 positions. The posts include a wide range of administrative roles such as Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Labour Officer, Excise and Taxation Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Jails (Grade-II), District Probation Officer, and more.
Meanwhile, many candidates expressed frustration over the long wait. Amrinder Singh, an aspirant from Patiala, shared, “We were told the exam would be in April, then it was pushed to September or October. Now, it’s finally set for October 26. This constant delay has affected our preparation and caused a lot of stress.”
Another candidate pointed out that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier directed that the Punjab PCS Prelims exam should be conducted every year, yet the last exam was held in 2020. “It feels like the government is ignoring the court’s instruction,” the aspirant said.
The PPSC is also facing a shortage of members. Currently, it has only the chairman and one member, Harmohan Kaur Sandhu, who is due to retire on August 19. After her retirement, Chairman Saini will be the sole member of the commission.
PPSC Secretary Charanjit Singh said the state government is aware of the issue and plans to appoint new commission members soon.
