RecruitmentExam – Rajasthan SI Re-Exam Decision Sparks Widespread Candidate Protests
RecruitmentExam – The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has decided to cancel the controversial Sub-Inspector Recruitment Examination 2021 following allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. The commission has announced that a fresh examination for the recruitment process will now be conducted in September 2026, reopening a debate over fairness and equal opportunity for lakhs of candidates.
Limited Candidates Allowed for Re-Examination
The latest announcement has created unrest among aspirants because only candidates who had appeared in both papers of the original 2021 examination will be eligible for the fresh test. According to official figures, around 7.95 lakh candidates had initially applied for the recruitment drive, but only nearly 3.83 lakh candidates meet the eligibility condition for the re-exam. This means over 4 lakh applicants will not get another opportunity.
The commission has also clarified that fresh applications will not be invited for the recruitment process. As a result, new aspirants preparing for police recruitment examinations in Rajasthan will remain excluded from the SI recruitment cycle.
Application Correction Window Announced
RPSC Chairman Utkal Ranjan Sahoo stated that candidates eligible for the re-examination will be allowed to edit their application forms from May 16 to May 30, 2026. During this period, applicants can update information such as contact numbers, email IDs, addresses, photographs, thumb impressions, and signatures.
The commission has made the One Time Registration-based Know Your Customer verification compulsory before any modifications can be submitted. In addition, candidates must submit a self-declaration confirming whether any changes are required in their application. Officials warned that failure to complete this process may lead to cancellation of candidature.
Recruitment Process to Begin Again
The recruitment examination is being conducted for 859 Sub-Inspector posts. The written test will include papers on General Hindi and General Knowledge with General Science. After the written stage, the Physical Efficiency Test, Physical Standards Test, and interview rounds will also be conducted again from the beginning.
Officials believe the entire selection exercise may take close to two years before final appointments are completed. The extended timeline has further increased anxiety among candidates who have already spent several years preparing for the recruitment process.
Aspirants Raise Questions Over Fairness
The decision has received strong reactions on social media and among student groups across Rajasthan. Many aspirants argue that excluding a large number of original applicants goes against the principle of equal opportunity.
Candidates have pointed out that in earlier cancelled recruitment examinations, including REET, EO-RO, and Second Grade Teacher Recruitment examinations, all applicants were permitted to participate again. They are questioning why a different approach has been adopted in the SI recruitment matter. Several education experts have also supported the demand for allowing every original applicant another chance in order to maintain transparency and public confidence.
Debate Continues Over Accused Candidates
Another major issue concerns 66 candidates against whom investigators reportedly found evidence linked to recruitment irregularities. The Special Operations Group has been probing the paper leak case, and the commission has not yet taken a final decision regarding whether those candidates will be allowed to sit for the fresh examination.
This uncertainty has angered several trainee candidates who claim they cleared the examination honestly and even completed training. They believe permitting candidates accused of wrongdoing to appear again could damage the credibility of the recruitment process once more.
Protest Held in Jaipur
On Friday, trainee candidates selected through the 2021 recruitment staged a protest at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur. Protesters argued that hundreds of candidates selected on merit should not face hardship because of alleged misconduct involving a limited number of individuals.
The paper leak controversy has remained politically sensitive in Rajasthan for the past few years. During the 2023 Assembly elections, recruitment paper leaks became a major issue in political campaigning. Several examinations conducted by the RPSC, including the RO-EO Recruitment 2022 and portions of the Second Grade Teacher Recruitment examination, had earlier been cancelled over similar allegations.
Authorities have so far arrested around 140 individuals in connection with the SI Recruitment 2021 paper leak investigation, including 63 trainee Sub-Inspectors.