The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) has introduced a major reform to ensure fairness and transparency in its recruitment process by abolishing the weightage of academic marks from its merit determination criteria.
Announcing the decision, PPSC Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Abdul Aziz said that, moving forward, merit will be based solely on the results of the PPSC examinations and interviews, with the written exam carrying the highest importance. The reform aims to create a level playing field for all candidates, eliminating disparities arising from variations in academic grading systems.
Additionally, the Commission has decided to discontinue the allocation of extra marks previously awarded for research work and non-clinical experience. The revised merit policy will be implemented from January 1, 2026, establishing a standardized and uniform evaluation system across all recruitment processes conducted by the PPSC.
The decision was formally approved during a Full Commission meeting, which followed the recommendations presented by the Reform Committee headed by Retired Inspector General and Commission Member Arif Nawaz Khan.
According to PPSC Secretary Afzal Ahmad, the reforms were formulated after a detailed comparative study of recruitment models from international public service commissions.
The goal, he said, is to align Punjab’s system with globally recognized best practices, where emphasis is placed on merit-based testing and interviews rather than subjective academic evaluations.
Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Abdul Aziz reaffirmed that the PPSC remains committed to ensuring transparency, impartiality, and equal opportunity for every applicant. He emphasized that these reforms mark an important step toward strengthening public confidence in the Commission’s selection process and upholding the principles of meritocracy in public sector recruitment.
