As many as 500 posts reserved for minorities in provincial civil services remained unfilled in Punjab during a 19-month period, with the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) recommending only 155 candidates against 655 posts available under the five per cent minority quota, even as 481 minority candidates were recommended on open merit.
The figures, disclosed by the PPSC under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013, show that less than one-fourth of the posts available under the minority quota were filled between Jan 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, raising questions about the utilisation of reserved employment opportunities and the need for greater outreach and preparation among minority aspirants.
According to a letter issued by the Punjab Public Service Commission on Aug 26, 2026, to the Registrar of the Punjab Information Commission, in response to a complaint titled Ashik Naz versus Public Information Officer, PPSC, 655 posts had been reserved for minorities during the period. Of these, the commission recommended 155 candidates against the minority quota, while 500 posts remained unfilled for want of suitable candidates, the PPSC said.
The commission also provided a separate figure for minority candidates who succeeded on open merit. It said 481 minority candidates were recommended on open merit during the same period. Thus, the total number of minority candidates recommended through the PPSC recruitment process stood at 636, comprising 155 candidates selected against the minority quota and 481 candidates recommended on open merit.
The PPSC pointed out that the selection of minority candidates on open merit was also relevant to the number of vacancies remaining unfilled against the minority quota. The disclosure does not provide a post-wise or examination-wise breakdown of the 500 vacancies, nor does it identify the specific qualifications or recruitment categories in which suitable candidates were not available. The commission's stated reason for the unfilled positions is the absence of suitable candidates.