Maharashtra: MPSC accepts students' demand to postpone implementation of new exam pattern

Mumbai: After student's agitation spread wide and the state government started facing the backlash, Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has agreed to start the implementation of a new exam pattern from next year.

The agitation of students in Pune has received huge response. It was led by youth Congress workers and all the parties were joining it. Even CM Eknath Shinde had to write to MPSC requesting to postpone the pattern.

MPSC has introduced a new exam pattern on the lines of UPSC. They included descriptive questions in all the papers and increased the question numbers from six to nine. Earlier only language papers had descriptive questions. Also MPSC has given word limit for all the answers of descriptive questions.

All this led to protests by students across the state. Almost 2 lac students appear for the MPSC exams per year. Youth Congress state vice president Shivraj More and Baliram Dole started an indefinite protest to postpone the exam pattern.

The protest started in Pune on Monday. Gradually the support for the protest was given by all the parties. As this was spreading, CM Shinde had to take note of it. He has written a letter to MPSC conveying the emotions of students.

This was becoming the political battle. Shivsena led by Shinde and BJP sensed the anger of the students. Losing such a huge number of youths over the MPSC exams was not politically right for the government. So, after a letter to CM Shinde and personal poursual of senior leaders of BJP, the exams are now postponed by MPSC.