Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (MPESB) assured the Madhya Pradesh high court on Tuesday that it had now been decided to include male candidates in nursing college recruitments in the state.
The HC granted the government one day to submit its decision in writing and ordered the case to be listed for hearing on January 7.
To note, a PIL was filed to challenge 100% reservation for female candidates in nursing college recruitments for a total of 286 posts, including assistant professor, associate professor and tutor, advertised in the Madhya Pradesh Staff Selection Board;s Group-1 Sub-Group-2 Combined Recruitment Examination 2025.
During the hearing, the court was informed that the exclusion of male candidates from the recruitment process and 100% reservation for female candidates were being challenged.
The petitioners’ counsel informed the court that the last date for application was January 7 and male candidates would not be able to apply after this date. After the hearing, the court granted the government one day to submit its decision in writing and ordered the case to be listed for hearing on January 7.
Advocate Vishal Baghel, on behalf of the petitioners, said that 286 academic posts, including 40 associate professors, 28 assistant professors, and 218 sister tutors, were to be filled through direct recruitment in the state’s government nursing colleges. Male candidates were completely excluded from these recruitments, even though the recruitment rules and all the criteria of the apex council (Indian Nursing Council or INC) did not permit gender discrimination.
The petition alleged that the government’s recruitment process violated the 50% reservation limit set by the Supreme Court. The petition demanded that the 100% reservation for women be declared unconstitutional and that the petitioners be included in the recruitment process.
