HC orders inclusion of B.Pharm candidates in C’garh pharmacist recruitment process

 

 

 

 In a major relief to thousands of pharmacy graduates in Chhattisgarh, High Court has directed the State Government and Chhattisgarh Professional Examination Board (CPEB) to allow Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree holders to participate in the ongoing pharmacist Grade-II recruitment process. The order came on a writ petition filed by eleven B.Pharm degree holders, including Rahul Verma, Secretary of the Indian

 

Pharmacist Association (IPA) Chhattisgarh. The recruitment, advertised on June 30, 2025, was originally restricted to candidates possessing a Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm), excluding B.Pharm graduates despite their registration with the Pharmacy Council. The petitioners argued that such exclusion was arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, as it disregarded higher qualifications without rational basis.

 

The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, directed the State to make necessary amendments to the online portal before the original last date of July 25, 5:00 PM. It further clarified that this interim relief would apply “in rem” and not merely to the petitioners, thereby covering all eligible B.Pharm holders across the state. The Court observed that denying participation to degree holders amounted to unreasonable classification, especially when they met or exceeded the minimum qualification threshold. Citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Puneet Sharma & Others vs. HP State Electricity