MP government plans massive overhaul of ESB and MPPSC recruitment rules

New draft rules propose a centralised eligibility score card system for state government jobs from October 2026, public suggestions invited till June 5.

BHOPAL: In a major move aimed at restructuring the state’s bureaucratic hiring process, the Madhya Pradesh government is set to overhaul the recruitment rules for its two premier testing agencies—the MP Employee Selection Board (ESB) and the MP Public Service Commission (MPPSC).

The General Administration Department (GAD) has prepared the fresh draft guidelines, effectively moving towards a unified testing format. Under the proposed framework, all government recruitments in the state, excluding those falling directly under the purview of the MPPSC, will now be mandatorily conducted through the ESB.

According to officials, these new MP recruitment rules are slated to take effect from October 1, 2026, replacing the legacy guidelines established back in 2013. The state has opened the floor for public feedback, asking citizens and stakeholders to submit their suggestions or objections by June 5, 2026.

Shift to eligibility score cards

The core of the proposed reform rests on shifting away from independent, multi-layered department exams to a streamlined "Eligibility Test" and "Score Card System". The draft rules indicate that the ESB will henceforth conduct three distinct categories of eligibility tests every year. These will include a General Eligibility Test, a Technical Eligibility Test, and a Teacher Eligibility Test.

Candidates who secure the minimum qualifying marks in these screening rounds will be issued an official score card. This card will serve as the baseline credential required to apply for specific vacancies across various state departments.

Validity windows and lifespans

Sources familiar with the matter said that the scores obtained in the General and Technical eligibility tests will not remain valid indefinitely. The validity will extend from the date of result declaration until December 31 of the subsequent two calendar years.

Interestingly, while the qualification status for the Teacher Eligibility Test will remain valid for a lifetime, the actual score card required for job deployment will still carry a restricted validity period, forcing candidates to maintain updated performances for fresh recruitments.

Relief from multiple preliminary rounds

The primary objective behind this structural pivot is to ease the burden on job aspirants, who currently find themselves appearing for repetitive preliminary screening tests for every minor departmental vacancy. Under the new rules, a single high score can be utilized to apply for multiple job openings across different portfolios.

Local authorities confirmed that the entire execution workflow will transition to a fully digital platform. The administration claims this digital push will significantly enhance transparency, reduce delays, and standardise evaluation metrics across the board.

Breakdown of the new exam pattern

The draft outlines a specific distribution of marks to keep testing standards uniform. For the General Eligibility Test, the paper will feature 100 questions divided into four distinct operational sections. The syllabus will cover General Knowledge, Current Affairs, MP General Knowledge & State Schemes, alongside Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, and basic Computer Literacy.

The Technical Eligibility Test will similarly feature 100 questions. However, to ensure specialised assessment, 25 questions will focus on general aptitude, while the remaining 75 questions will strictly test the specific technical discipline of the applicant.

MPPSC regulations undergo parallel revision

Simultaneously, the state government has trained its eyes on reforming the apex state recruitment body. Draft rules titled the "Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission Examination Rules 2026" have been formally notified for public review.

The GAD has uploaded the complete text of these proposed changes on its official web portal. Ajay Katesaria, Additional Secretary of the General Administration Department, stated that the administration is keen on reviewing stakeholder inputs before finalizing the gazette notification.

Deadline for public submissions

An official notification confirms that any individual, institution, or legal stakeholder wishing to log an objection or suggest amendments must do so in writing before the June 5 deadline. Inputs can be emailed directly to sogad1@mp.gov.in or submitted through the dedicated feedback links on gad.mp.gov.in. The department has explicitly clarified that any communication received after the stipulated date will not be taken into consideration for the final drafting phase.

A government proposal to restructure or reform Chhattisgarh's Employee Selection Board — the state's apex recruitment examination body — has landed in the middle of an already charged political atmosphere in Raipur. For the lakhs of young job aspirants who depend on this single institution to access state government employment, the proposal is not an administrative footnote. It is a decision that will directly shape their futures.

What the Employee Selection Board Actually Does

The Chhattisgarh Employee Selection Board — commonly known as CG Vyapam, derived from its Hindi name Chhattisgarh Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal — is the state's primary body for conducting recruitment examinations for Group B, Group C, and various departmental posts in the Chhattisgarh government. From patwaris and sub-inspectors to lab assistants, forest guards, and junior engineers, the Board's examinations are the gateway to government employment for hundreds of thousands of young people across the state every year.

In 2026 alone, Chhattisgarh has seen a surge in recruitment across sectors including public health, urban development, and law enforcement Business Standard — all of which flow through the Board's examination pipeline. Any structural change to how this body operates, who oversees it, and how its examinations are conducted is therefore not a bureaucratic detail. It is a question of fairness and opportunity for Chhattisgarh's youth.

The Shadow of the Vyapam Scam — Context That Cannot Be Ignored

Any discussion of exam board reform in central India cannot happen in isolation from the Vyapam scam — the massive recruitment and admission fraud that devastated the credibility of Madhya Pradesh's Professional Examination Board and sent shockwaves across the region.

MP's exam board made national news for the Vyapam scam — a massive admission and recruitment scam involving politicians, senior officials, and businessmen Prokerala — which led to its own restructuring and renaming as the Employees Selection Board in 2022. Chhattisgarh, though a separate state, carries similar structural vulnerabilities: centralised exam conduct, contractor-managed centres, and limited independent oversight.

The Chhattisgarh government's current proposal must be read against this backdrop. If it genuinely strengthens the Board's independence, transparency, and accountability, it is overdue and welcome. If it instead centralises more control in government hands — reducing the Board's autonomy — it risks creating the very conditions that allowed Vyapam-style corruption to flourish next door.

What a Strong Reform Proposal Should Look Like

For the proposal to serve Chhattisgarh's youth rather than the government's administrative convenience, it must address five core weaknesses in the current system:

• Independent oversight — The Board must function at arm's length from the state government. Its chairman and members must have security of tenure and cannot be removed at the government's will. Political interference in exam scheduling, paper-setting, or results is the primary corruption vector.
• Digital end-to-end examination — Paper-based examinations remain deeply vulnerable to leaks and impersonation. A phased move toward computer-based testing for all Board examinations, with biometric authentication, eliminates the largest fraud opportunities.
• Transparent merit lists — All merit lists, answer keys, and objection resolution processes must be published in real time on a public portal, accessible to every candidate.
• Fast-track grievance redressal — Currently, exam-related disputes drag through administrative and judicial channels for years, holding up recruitments and leaving posts vacant. A dedicated Board tribunal with a 60-day resolution mandate is essential.
• Third-party audit of exam centres — Every examination centre must be independently audited before and after each exam cycle, with reports submitted to the High Court-monitored oversight committee.

The Youth Employment Stakes Are Enormous

CG Vyapam recently announced recruitment for 200 Sub Inspector vacancies in Chhattisgarh Business Standard — just one of dozens of active recruitment cycles running through the Board at any given time. Across the state, an estimated 15 to 20 lakh young people are actively preparing for government examinations at any point. For most of them, a government job is not just an aspiration — it is the primary path out of economic vulnerability for their entire family.

When exam boards are restructured without transparent communication, the immediate consequences are felt by these aspirants: exam calendars are disrupted, pending recruitments are frozen during transition, and uncertainty drives anxiety in a demographic that can least afford it. Any reform proposal must come with a clear transition timeline and a guarantee that no pending recruitment process will be stalled.

The Political Dimension — Assembly Session Timing Is No Coincidence

The proposal emerging during the Chhattisgarh Assembly's budget session is no accident. The opposition Congress — still stinging from its 2023 electoral defeat — will scrutinise every clause of the proposal for signs of political motivation. Are new Board appointments being designed to reward loyalists? Does the restructuring reduce the High Court's oversight role that was strengthened after previous irregularities? Is this a genuine reform or a power consolidation?

These are questions the Vishnu Deo Sai government must answer openly — in the Assembly, in public documentation, and through genuine stakeholder consultation with student unions, civil society groups, and legal experts.

Opinion: Reform Is Urgently Needed — But Transparency Is Non-Negotiable

Chhattisgarh's Employee Selection Board needs reform. That is not a matter of debate. The question is whether this government has the institutional discipline to reform it the right way — by strengthening independent oversight, not weakening it — or whether this proposal is an opportunity to bring a key institution more firmly under executive control.

The youth of Chhattisgarh who study for these examinations by lantern light in Bastar villages, in cramped coaching centres in Bilaspur, and in their family farms in Durg deserve a Board that is genuinely independent, technologically robust, and corruption-resistant. They have waited long enough. The government's proposal must rise to that standard — or it will simply be the next chapter in a long story of institutional failure that young people in central India know too well.

Key Takeaways:

• The Chhattisgarh government has tabled a proposal to reform the state's Employee Selection Board — the apex body conducting government recruitment examinations
• The reform comes against the backdrop of the MP Vyapam scam and Chhattisgarh's own history of exam irregularities
• Experts say genuine reform must strengthen Board independence, move to computer-based testing, and ensure transparent merit lists
• Lakhs of youth aspirants depend on this body — any disruption to pending recruitment cycles during transition will cause serious harm
• The opposition Congress is watching closely for signs that the restructuring is political rather than administrative