Bhopal
Although Professional Examination Board, better known as Vyapam, was renamed Employee Selection Board (ESB) in 2022, irregularities continue to plague recruitment exams. Around a dozen exams under ESB have faced issues in recent years.
Fresh irregularities surfaced in Excise Constable Recruitment Exam-2024, and an FIR has been registered. The renaming of Vyapam was intended to move past the scams of 2013, but little has changed.
In 2021, the board cancelled three exams following irregularities, including the Rural Agricultural Extension Officer and Senior Agricultural Development Officer Recruitment Exam-2020, the Group-2 Subgroup-4 Recruitment Exam-2020, and the Group-5 (Paper K) Recruitment Exam-2020. Several cases are now under investigation by Cyber Police. In 2022, ESB filed an FIR against five candidates in the Primary Teacher Eligibility Test-2020, while in 2024, FIRs were filed for misrepresentation in the Secondary and Primary Teacher Exams-2024 and the Group-5 Recruitment Exam-2024.
Patwari exam-2022
The Patwari Recruitment Exam-2022 made headlines when an unusually large number of candidates at a Gwalior college center qualified, raising suspicion about irregularities.
Police constable exam-2023
Investigators revealed that racketeers manipulated UIDAI to help impersonators qualify the Police Constable Recruitment Exam-2023. Candidates later switched back to their own biometrics for physical tests but were caught, exposing the scam.
No exam centres in Gwalior, Chambal
Following the 2023 police exam scandal, ESB avoided conducting exams in Gwalior and Chambal for Police Constable Exam-2025 and Excise Constable Exam-2024. Yet, the epicenter of rackets continues to operate in these regions.
System loopholes exploited
Vyapam whistleblower and former MLA Paras Saklecha said, Renaming Vyapam to ESB hasn t changed how the agency works. Insiders exploit loopholes to help candidates and impersonators qualify exams. They must be exposed and removed.
ESB vows reforms
ESB Director Ajay Katesaria said, Some gaps in the system are being closed. FIRs have been registered, and visible changes will follow soon.
