Maharashtra Drug Inspector recruitment cancelled over paper leak

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector, Group-B posts in the Food and Drug Administration Department, on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) after an inquiry by the Mumbai Police found that the question paper of the screening test held on March 22, 2026, had been leaked.

Between July 22 and July 26, some candidates told MPSC that they had received the question paper before the examination began, others informed that they got the question paper through social media.

MPSC filed a complaint with the Mumbai Commissioner of Police on July 27. The preliminary report submitted by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch found that, prima facie, one candidate received the question paper and benefited from it. It was not clear if multiple people had benefited.

MPSC had issued the initial notification for the post on July 29, 2025, and the examination was held offline on March 22 at centres in six divisional headquarters of the State. The result was declared on June 12; 506 candidates were found eligible for interview of whom 488 cleared the round between July 1 and July 22. A provisional general merit list of 488 candidates was released and 485 candidates were considered eligible.

MPSC said it would conduct a re-examination, and candidates who had applied earlier need not apply again, and no examination fee will be charged. A notification on the re-examination will be published separately.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said his party had raised the paper leak earlier. “We had raised the issue with evidence, followed up with necessary actions with the investigation agencies, and today the investigation has concluded that there was indeed a paper leak,” he said.

Mr. Pawar refused to believe that the paper was leaked to just one student and claimed that it was sold across the State for ₹40 lakh. “Even though the commission has cancelled the paper, their explanation that the paper was (available) with one student is unacceptable. The papers were sold for ₹40 lakh through an agent racket, and the commission is aware of this fact,” he said.

“Instead of trying to suppress this matter, the commission should make the inquiry report public, and what happened to the agent people whose names we had provided,” he added.

Mr. Pawar said the MPSC chairman should take responsibility and resign. “The paper leak is an extremely serious matter and is a question of the commission’s credibility... The government should appoint a person with a clean image to the position of chairman of the commission,” he said.