MPSC Drug Inspector Exam 2026 Cancelled Following Alleged Paper Leak | Education and Career News
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MPSC Drug Inspector Recruitment 2026: A preliminary investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch found that a candidate had received the question paper before the exam.
Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the MPSC lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police Commissioner on July 27, 2026. (File/Representative image)
The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has cancelled the recruitment examination for the Group-B Drug Inspector post in the Food and Drug Department following allegations of irregularities and a question paper leak. A preliminary investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch found that a candidate had received the question paper before the examination and benefited from it. In view of these findings, the Commission decided to cancel the entire recruitment process to safeguard the fairness and credibility of the examination.
The MPSC had issued the recruitment advertisement for the Drug Inspector Group-B post on July 29, 2025. The screening examination was subsequently held on March 22, 2026, in offline mode at centres across six departmental headquarters in Maharashtra.
Following the examination, several candidates and public representatives raised concerns over alleged irregularities. The Commission received complaints via email between July 22 and July 26, 2026. The complaints alleged that some candidates had obtained the question paper on March 20, two days before the examination. It was also claimed that the paper had circulated on social media.
Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the MPSC lodged a complaint with the Mumbai Police Commissioner on July 27, 2026. A preliminary inquiry was subsequently conducted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Investigation Branch, Mumbai. The Crime Branch submitted its preliminary report to the Commission, which indicated that a candidate had received the question paper in advance and benefited from it.
The allegations had been raised publicly in the days preceding the Commission’s decision. MLA Rohit Pawar was among the first to highlight the issue. Students preparing for MPSC examinations in Pune also met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to raise their concerns. The alleged paper leak was also brought up by a student during the “Schools’ Echo” programme organised by Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, in Pune.
For the MPSC, maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and fairness of the examination was a key consideration. Following the Crime Branch’s preliminary findings, the Commission decided that cancelling the recruitment process was necessary to protect the interests of candidates and preserve public confidence in its recruitment system.
Candidates who appeared for the examination will now have to take the test again. The MPSC will conduct a fresh examination for the Drug Inspector Group-B post and issue an official press release with further details on its website.
Candidates who had already applied for the recruitment will not have to submit fresh applications or pay another examination fee. They will also not be required to fill out the application form again for the re-examination.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) will conduct a fresh examination for the Drug Inspector Group-B post and will issue an official press release with further details on its website. No specific timeline for the re-examination process has been released yet.
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August 26, 2026, 15:23 IST
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