18 years on, MPPSC to conduct interviews for food safety officer posts

Indore: Nearly two decades after the last hiring, Madhya Pradesh is set to get new food safety officers. The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission will fill 123 posts, with 480 candidates facing interviews from April 15. The final selection list is expected to come by April-end.The recruitment process witnessed several changes since it began last year. Initially, MPPSC issued a notification for 120 posts of food safety officer after a gap of almost 17 years. But, the vacancy was later cancelled and a fresh notification was issued for only 67 posts, which triggered objections from aspirants. Following protests and representations, the commission later increased the number of posts by adding 56 more, taking the total to 123.The written examination for the recruitment was conducted on Dec 14, 2025. Around 44,000 candidates registered for the examination, though only about 59 percent appeared for it. Based on the results declared on Jan 21 this year, a total of 480 candidates have been shortlisted for the interview stage.Among them, 382 candidates are from the main list, while 98 candidates are included in the provisional list. "The interviews are expected to be completed within a week, after which the commission will prepare the final merit list," said the commission OSD R Panchbhai. Officials indicated that the list may be released within about 10 days of the interviews, likely by April 30.According to subject experts, the interview will carry 50 marks out of the total 500 marks in the selection process. The written examination had 2 papers, including a 150 mark paper on general studies and a 300 mark paper on food science and technology.Experts say the interview stage will be crucial, as even a single mark could influence the final merit ranking. If the process stays on schedule, appointments in the concerned departments may begin in May.