health

20 Punjab doctors approach High Court after recruitment rejection over alleged clerical error

Published on: 18 Jul 2026, 12:53 PM

A group of 20 doctors have moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court after being denied government medical officer positions due to an alleged clerical delay by the Government Medical College, Amritsar.

The dispute originates from a recruitment drive in April 2025 for 1,000 medical officer (general) posts conducted by the Punjab Department of Health and Family Welfare. Selection was based on merit in a written examination administered by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

The petitioners had cleared the examination. However, when the final selection list was released on September 1, 2025, only 322 candidates received joining letters. The 20 doctors were excluded, while candidates with lower merit scores were selected, according to the petitioners.

The doctors have sought the court's intervention to rectify what they claim is a clerical oversight by the medical college. The case is yet to be heard.

This case highlights challenges in large-scale government recruitment processes, where procedural errors can affect qualified candidates. The court's decision may set a precedent for similar disputes in public sector hiring.

Source: Indian Express

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