MPESB Opens Applications for 2,646 Nursing Posts in Madhya Pradesh Combined Recruitment Exam 2026 to fill Nursing Officer and Sister Tutor vacancies; exam scheduled from May 15

The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB) has released the official notification for the Combined Recruitment Examination-2026 to fill 2,646 posts of Nursing Officer and Sister Tutor under the state's Directorate of Public Health and Medical Education. The online application window opened on April 6, 2026, and will remain active until April 20, 2026. The examination is scheduled to begin from May 15, 2026.

Vacancies Across Hospitals and Colleges

The recruitment drive covers positions spread across government hospitals and medical institutions. As per the Hindi-language source notification, 1,256 Nursing Officer posts will be filled at government hospitals, 954 at government medical colleges, and 218 Sister Tutor posts will be recruited through the same combined examination — taking the total to 2,646 vacancies.

Both categories are regular, third-grade government service positions with fixed pay scales under the state's pay matrix.

Pay Scale and Post Details

Nursing Officers will be placed at Pay Level 7, drawing a basic salary of Rs 28,700 per month. Sister Tutors, placed at the higher Pay Level 9, will receive Rs 36,200 per month. These are permanent, pensionable positions under the state government's health services cadre.

Who Can Apply

For the Nursing Officer post, candidates must have passed Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB), hold a B.Sc Nursing or Post Basic B.Sc Nursing degree with a minimum of 45 per cent marks — with a five per cent relaxation for reserved category applicants — and possess live registration with the Madhya Pradesh Nursing Council. Sister Tutor applicants must additionally hold at least one year of relevant work experience.

The age limit is 18 to 40 years as on January 1, 2026. Aadhar-based registration is mandatory on the MPESB portal, and candidates must also maintain a live registration with their local employment office.

Application Fee Structure

Candidates from the general category are required to pay Rs 500 as the examination fee. Applicants belonging to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and differently-abled categories from Madhya Pradesh will pay a reduced fee of Rs 250. No fee is applicable for backlog posts. A portal processing charge of Rs 60 applies for Kiosk submissions, while self-login applicants pay Rs 20 separately.

Exam Pattern at a Glance

The selection process consists of a single Online Computer-Based Test (CBT) of 100 marks, followed by document verification for qualified candidates. The paper carries 25 marks from general sections — covering General Knowledge, Hindi, English, Mathematics, and Science — while 75 marks are drawn from nursing-specific subjects. The exam will be conducted in two daily shifts: 10 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm.

Minimum qualifying marks are 50 per cent for general category candidates and 40 per cent for reserved categories. Final appointments will depend on merit ranking and departmental verification of documents.

How to Apply

Candidates must visit the official MPESB website at esb.mp.gov.in, click on the Combined Recruitment Test–2026 for Nursing Officer and Sister Tutor link, complete fresh registration, fill the application form, upload photographs and relevant certificates, and pay the prescribed fee online. Offline submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Backdrop: Nursing Sector Under Scrutiny

This recruitment comes against a difficult backdrop for nursing education in the state. As per earlier reports, only 8 of 21 government nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh currently hold valid recognition, with 13 having been declared non-compliant. Around 60,000 students who appeared for the 2022 Pre Nursing Selection Test are still awaiting counselling, a fallout of a wider nursing college irregularities case that has disrupted academic sessions across the state. This fresh recruitment drive is being seen as a step toward addressing staffing shortfalls in public health infrastructure.

What Lies Ahead

With the application deadline set for April 20 and the exam starting May 15, the recruitment timeline is tight. Candidates are advised to verify eligibility norms against the official notification PDF available on the MPESB portal before submitting applications. Results and merit lists will be declared on the official website following the completion of the examination process.