Three years on and appointment letters for 42 Research Assistant posts remain frozen as Punjab’s Language Department grapples with a dispute surrounding the reservation roster and selection process.

In July 2025, the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) initially forwarded 22 candidates to the department.

Director Jaswant Singh Zafar is now seeking permission to appoint 35 candidates, keeping the remaining seven vacancies pending until reservation-related issues are resolved. The latest dispute is between Zafar and administrative secretary Sonali Giri.

In a show-cause notice dated August 26, 2026, Giri accused Zafar of negligence over the reservation roster and the way its details were included in the recruitment request sent to PSSSB.…