Congress leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday, 18 June 2026, called on the Rajasthan government to abolish the interview round in its Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment process and shift to a purely merit-based selection system, pointing out that roughly 14–15 states across India have already done so.

Context

Posting in Hindi, Pilot asked: 'देश के लगभग 14–15 राज्यों में SI भर्ती प्रक्रिया से इंटरव्यू व्यवस्था समाप्त कर दी गई है' ('In approximately 14–15 states across the country, the interview system has been abolished from the SI recruitment process'). He then posed a pointed question: if so many states have adopted merit-based selection, why has Rajasthan not followed suit?

Pilot concluded with a direct demand: the Rajasthan government should scrap the interview system in SI recruitment and implement a selection process based solely on merit. The post was accompanied by a video, suggesting he may have elaborated on the issue in a recorded statement.

Policy Backdrop

The push to remove interviews from subordinate police recruitment is part of a broader administrative reform trend visible across India since the 2010s. Several state governments — cutting across party lines — have moved toward written-exam-only or purely objective merit systems for posts such as constable and sub-inspector, citing concerns about discretionary power and allegations of favouritism in personal interviews.

In Rajasthan, SI recruitment has historically involved a combination of a written examination and an interview round conducted by the Rajasthan Police Recruitment Board or the Rajasthan Public Service Commission. Any formal change would require an amendment to the Rajasthan Police Subordinate Service Rules or a revised recruitment notification. The Rajasthan government — currently led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma — has not publicly announced any such amendment.

Stakeholders and Impact

Police aspirants and Rajasthan's youth are the most directly affected constituency. For candidates who invest years preparing for competitive examinations, the presence of an interview round introduces a layer of subjectivity that critics argue can disadvantage those without connections or coaching in soft skills unrelated to policing ability.

Pilot, as Congress general secretary and Chhattisgarh in-charge, retains a strong political base in Rajasthan and frequently uses such governance critiques to keep pressure on the ruling state administration. His demand also resonates with a national conversation about transparency in public-sector hiring, particularly for uniformed services.

What's Next

The immediate question is whether the Rajasthan government responds — either by defending the current system or by announcing a review of SI recruitment rules. Civil society groups and aspirant communities in the state are likely to amplify the demand through social media and formal representations to the Rajasthan Police Recruitment Board.

If the state moves toward a merit-only system, it would align Rajasthan with the growing national consensus on transparent, interview-free recruitment for subordinate police posts — and hand the opposition a visible policy win ahead of future electoral cycles.