Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Aspirants eyeing post of police Sub-Inspector (SI) will now have to clear four exams to get recruited, officials at Police Headquarters (PHQ) said. The recruitment process will be conducted by the Employees Selection Board (ESB).
This will be the first SI recruitment since 2018, when the exam was conducted by the then recruitment agency Vyapam.
Recently, after receiving a nod from the Home Department to fill 7,500 constable posts and 500 ministerial staff posts, ESB has issued recruitment notifications for those vacancies. Officials said that the rulebook for SI recruitment has also been prepared and sent for government approval.
Unlike the constable and ministerial staff selection processes, the SI recruitment will follow a four-stage format: preliminary exam, main exam, physical fitness test and interview.
Previously, the selection process involved just three stages — a written test, physical test and interview. Officials said the addition of a separate preliminary and main exam will help bring academically stronger candidates into the force.
“The pattern will now be structured like competitive civil exams. The added academic filter will improve overall quality of recruits,” said a senior official.
The draft has been sent to the state government. Once approved, it will be handed over to ESB and the exam process will begin. Notifications are expected to be released shortly.
Years lost, age gained
The last Police Sub-Inspector recruitment was held in 2018. Before that, 720 posts were advertised in 2014, followed by 668 in 2015, 863 in 2016 and 611 in 2017.
Officials at PHQ blamed COVID-19 pandemic for the gap in advertisements. However, the delay has cost many aspirants their eligibility.
Despite the state government granting a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit for recruitment exams, that relief expired in 2023.
No recruitment process was initiated during that window, and several candidates have since become overage for the post.
