Punjab: Barely 33,000—about 40%—of the 85,192 registered candidates appeared for the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) PCS (Preliminary) exam held on Sunday. According to the PPSC, the exam was for 331 posts in the State Civil Services, including DSP, Tehsildar, Excise and Taxation Officer, Food and Civil Supplies Officer, and Labor-cum-Conciliation Officer. The exam was held at 165 centers in Patiala, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur, and Chandigarh, divided into 222 blocks. Ludhiana had the highest number of candidates, with 18,424.
Subhead: …..Controversy over content with less Punjabi, more maths
The exam has once again come under controversy after Misal Satluj, a student organization supporting Punjabi language and culture, submitted a memorandum to the PPSC. Yadvinder Singh Yadu, a representative of the group, alleged that Punjabi was “deliberately and drastically reduced” in this year’s PCS (Preliminary) exam. He said that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) (Paper II), which previously included 15-20 or 25 questions in Punjabi, included only eight this time. He claimed that this drastic reduction has made the CSAT a math-heavy paper, significantly disadvantaging rural students and those without a math background.
He also alleged that the General Studies paper was largely missing sections on Punjab’s history, geography, economy, the Guru Sahibs, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, leaving Punjab-related content “almost nonexistent.” The delegation demanded that the qualifying marks for the CSAT—currently 40% (32 correct answers)—be reduced to 33% in line with the UPSC pattern. Additionally, they demanded grace marks for all candidates this year or other corrective measures to “ensure justice for rural and backward students.” Meanwhile, PPSC Secretary Charanjit Singh stated that the exam was conducted as per norms. He added that no delegation had met with him.
Punjab: Only 40% appeared for PCS prelims
