Madhya Pradesh High Court Permits Online Application For Over-Aged Candidates

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur has permitted for online form submission to those who crossed the age bar in Madhya Pradesh Food Safety Officer (FSO) recruitment for 2024 as the recruitment process was cancelled by MPPSC (Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission).

The cancellation had led to public outrage and raised questions about the commission's accountability. The cancellation stemmed from a discrepancy between the educational qualifications initially specified and later amendments to the eligibility criteria by the Central government.

A new notification for FSO recruitment with a reduced number of posts was released, requiring candidates to reapply and pay the fee again in June 2025 while counting their age from 2026.

After a gap of 17 years, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) had issued a recruitment notification for the post of Food Safety Officer (FSO) in 2024.

The exam was abruptly cancelled after forms were filled, fees were collected and study preparations had begun. The candidates were asked to pay the fees once again for a revised notification - leaving many feeling frustrated, demoralised and betrayed.

Senior advocate Rameshwar Thakur who appeared on behalf of the petitioners said, ‘The HC has permitted petitioners who had crossed the age bar due to cancellation of recruitment process by MPPPSC in 2024. Now they can apply online.

Besides, the HC has also sought a reply from the concerning authority in this matter.’