By 121 News
Chandigarh, July 09, 2026:- The peaceful dharna being staged by 180 selected Psychologist candidates outside the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Sector-34, entered its fourth consecutive day today. The candidates are demanding the restoration of the recruitment process and the issuance of appointment letters based on the duly prepared final merit list.
Speaking to the media, protest leader Parminder Singh Bhullar said that the recruitment process for 343 Psychologist posts was conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences through a completely transparent and merit-based procedure. All stages of the recruitment process, including the written examination, counselling, and document verification, were completed successfully, and the final merit list was duly prepared. However, instead of issuing appointment letters, the government cancelled the recruitment process and proposed filling these posts through outsourcing.
The selected candidates have challenged this arbitrary decision before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Court has passed an interim order restraining the government from making appointments through outsourcing until the next hearing.
Despite the matter being pending before the Court and repeated representations and memorandums submitted to the government, no concrete decision has been taken so far. As a result, the selected candidates and their families continue to face severe financial hardship and mental distress.
The protesting candidates reiterated that:
The recruitment process was completed strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules.
No irregularity has been established in the selection process.
A duly completed merit-based recruitment process cannot be cancelled arbitrarily.
The government should immediately restore the recruitment process and issue appointment letters to the selected candidates without any further delay.
The candidates emphasized that their protest remains entirely peaceful and democratic. They stated that the agitation would continue until justice is delivered and their legitimate appointments are restored.
Parminder Singh Bhullar said that their demands are simple and clear, including:
Immediate restoration of the cancelled recruitment process.
Respect for the final merit list.
Immediate issuance of appointment letters to the 180 selected Psychologists.
Withdrawal of the proposal to fill these posts through outsourcing instead of appointing the duly selected candidates.
Bhullar further said that even candidates holding double M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees are being forced to remain unemployed and struggle for jobs in Punjab, which is extremely unfortunate. Despite investing heavily in higher education, deserving candidates are still unable to secure employment.
According to the protesting candidates, the government's ambitious "Yudh Nasheyan Virudh" (War Against Drugs) campaign cannot succeed without Psychologists. They said that overcoming drug addiction requires much more than merely prescribing medicines. Effective de-addiction involves a structured psychological rehabilitation process, counselling, behavioural therapy, and continuous mental health support, all of which require qualified Psychologists. Therefore, they urged the government to take this issue seriously and make an immediate decision in the larger public interest.
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