Sardardham Mock Interview Sparks GPSC Recruitment Row

Gandhinagar, Gujarat — A fresh controversy has rocked Gujarat’s recruitment system after the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) abruptly cancelled interviews for the post of drug inspector, citing serious concerns about fairness and transparency.

The cancellation, announced late on May 17, follows the revelation that an interview panel expert conducted mock interviews and offered guidance to candidates at Sardardham, an organisation previously under fire for alleged favoritism. The expert in question was scheduled to evaluate candidates for the same GPSC interview.

“Such a breach of ethics cannot be ignored,” said a senior lawyer who regularly handles administrative service cases. “When interview scores carry 50% of the final merit, even slight bias or insider advantage can destroy meritocracy.”

GPSC Chairman Hasmukh Patel took to social media to announce the decision:“It has come to the notice of the Commission that an interview expert had conducted a mock interview in Sardardham. Considering this, the Commission has cancelled the interview conducted for two days. The new dates will be announced soon.”

To avoid recurrence, GPSC has mandated that interview panel members fill out a written declaration before participating in official evaluations.

The cancellation, however, has reignited longstanding concerns over GPSC’s interview process, which many claim lacks transparency. “Even in past exams, top performers in written tests have been failed in the interview. It’s time we reduce the interview weightage and end these backdoor manipulations,” said Dr. Manish Doshi, Congress spokesperson.

He cited two candidates who scored 208.56 out of 300 in the written exam but received just 35 out of 100 in the interview, causing them to fail despite their academic excellence.

“This isn’t just procedural error—it reeks of systemic injustice,” said a candidate who appeared for the now-cancelled interview. “What happened at Sardardham is not a one-off. It reflects how elite coaching platforms and insider access corrupt an already skewed process.”