Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday, 23 July 2026, launched a sharp attack on the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, accusing it of systematically leaking recruitment examination papers through the Subordinate Selection Board, and outlined the steps his administration has taken to overhaul the state's public hiring machinery.

Context

In his post, CM Sukhu wrote that during the BJP administration, paper leaks through the Subordinate Selection Board were a recurring practice — 'पेपर लीक कराए जाते थे' ('papers were systematically leaked'). He described the police recruitment examination paper leak in particular as 'a deep blow to the years of hard work, hopes, and trust of thousands of youths of Himachal Pradesh,' adding that 'the pain of that incident is still fresh in the minds of young people today.'

The Subordinate Selection Board was the state body responsible for conducting subordinate-level government recruitment examinations during the 2017–2022 BJP tenure. Allegations of irregularities in its conduct had become a significant political issue in the lead-up to the December 2022 assembly elections, which the Indian National Congress won, bringing Sukhu to power.

Policy Backdrop

Upon taking office, the Sukhu government dissolved the Subordinate Selection Board, citing corruption, and constituted a new body — the State Selection Commission — to take over recruitment functions. The commission introduced Computer-Based Testing (CBT) as the standard mode for all examinations, a shift designed to eliminate manual paper handling and reduce the risk of leaks.

The move mirrors a broader national pattern: multiple Indian states adopted CBT-based hiring frameworks after a wave of high-profile paper leak incidents in the early 2020s severely eroded candidate confidence in written examinations. The central government has also pushed technology-enabled governance in public employment as part of wider administrative reform efforts.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the reform are Himachal Pradesh's lakhs of government job aspirants — particularly youth from hill districts who invest years preparing for state-level competitive examinations. The police recruitment paper leak had directly affected thousands of candidates who faced the prospect of re-examination and prolonged uncertainty over their careers.

The opposition BJP, which governed the state between 2017 and 2022, faces renewed political pressure from Sukhu's remarks, which are likely to be amplified ahead of any upcoming local or civic polls in the state. The framing of the new commission as corruption-free and 'dispute-free' sets a benchmark against which future recruitments will be publicly measured.

What's Next

The State Selection Commission is expected to continue rolling out CBT-based examinations across various government departments. Any legislative or judicial follow-up on compensation or re-examination for candidates adversely affected by earlier leaks remains a live issue that youth groups and opposition parties are likely to track closely.

With CM Sukhu publicly staking his government's credibility on transparent hiring, each successive recruitment cycle under the new commission will serve as a test of whether the institutional overhaul delivers on its promise to Himachal Pradesh's young job seekers.