Pune: Thousands of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants took to the streets in Pune on Monday, demanding the resignation of the commission’s chairman and secretary, an independent probe into alleged examination irregularities and a forensic audit of examinations conducted under officials accused in the paper leak case. The Vidyarthi Aakrosh Morcha, which began at Omkareshwar Temple Chowk and proceeded towards the Pune District Collectorate, brought together students and competitive examination aspirants from across Pune and Maharashtra.
Protesters carried the Tricolour and placards reading “MPSC Chairman Go Back”, while raising slogans demanding a transparent and credible recruitment system. The immediate backdrop to the agitation is the controversy over the MPSC Drug Inspector (Group B) examination, which was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak. However, Monday’s protest went beyond that examination, with students raising concerns over alleged irregularities in several MPSC examinations, evaluation errors, suspicious results and the functioning of senior officials.
Rohit Pawar: ‘Fight will not stop without cleansing MPSC’
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who was among the prominent political leaders at the protest, strongly backed the students and addressed the gathering. Pawar maintained that the agitation was fundamentally a students’ movement and not a political programme.
“This is the students' fight. It is a fight for their future,” Pawar said, arguing that students should not be forced to remain silent when the examination system determining their careers comes under a cloud of suspicion.
He raised doubts over the government’s handling of repeated allegations surrounding MPSC examinations and said, “This fight will not stop without the purification of MPSC. The struggle will not stop without cleansing the commission.” He also questioned why raising concerns about alleged corruption in examinations should be treated as politics.
Pawar also alleged that an MPSC officer of the rank of joint secretary was involved in leaking the marking pattern in a departmental Excise examination. Calling the allegation “shocking”, he contrasted the alleged wrongdoing with the years of preparation undertaken by students. “Students study day and night, while papers are allegedly being sold,” he said, demanding that those responsible be held accountable.
He further demanded the resignation of the MPSC chairman and secretary and the appointment of officers with clean records. In his address, Pawar specifically suggested Tukaram Mundhe as a possible chairman and said the government should appoint officials whose credibility was beyond question.
Pawar also reiterated his challenge to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had said that paper leaks could not occur in MPSC. Pawar said he had raised the issue in the legislature and demanded that the government first clarify whether action would be taken against the commission’s leadership.
He said, “Students have given the government three days to act on their demands. If the demands are not addressed, the agitation will intensify and could include a hunger strike, with parents also joining the movement.”
Sule seeks direct government dialogue
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule also joined the protesters and interacted with students before demanding immediate government intervention. She questioned why young people preparing for government service were being forced to take to the streets instead of concentrating on their studies.
“Send a responsible person and discuss the issue with the students,” Sule said, describing the need for dialogue as urgent. She argued that the government should listen directly to aspirants and work out a solution rather than allow the agitation to continue.
Sule also questioned the government’s ability to prevent paper leaks despite the availability of modern technology. “I do not believe that paper leaks cannot be stopped,” she said, pointing to the widespread use of technology and AI in examination systems.
She said the size of the gathering demonstrated the depth of the students’ anger and urged Fadnavis to personally take cognisance of their concerns. She also said the repeated demand for the resignation of the MPSC chairman and secretary should be considered seriously.
Akshay Jain backs MPSC aspirants’ agitation
Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress (Media Department) president Akshay Jain criticised the MPSC over the alleged paper leaks, examination irregularities and concerns over results.
“Young people should have question papers in their hands, but today they are holding protest placards,” Jain said. He alleged that students’ futures were being jeopardised by paper leaks, examination scams, suspicious aspects of results and constantly changing rules.
“Is the MPSC a commission meant to conduct examinations, or to test students’ patience?” he asked.
Jain said students needed answers and accountability rather than assurances. He demanded transparent examinations, strict action against paper leaks, criminal cases against those responsible, an impartial inquiry into suspicious results and immediate decisions on issues affecting students’ futures.
“The days of testing students’ patience are over; it is now time to answer their questions,” he said.
Vishwajeet Kadam extends support
Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam also joined the mobilisation and extended the party’s support to the aspirants. Ahead of the march, Kadam said he would participate alongside thousands of competitive examination candidates over their various concerns and “just rights”.
The Congress has backed the students’ demand for accountability, with the party saying that paper leaks had jeopardised the hard work and future of lakh of aspirants. Kadam’s participation added to the opposition support for the agitation alongside Pawar and Sule.
12-point charter at centre of agitation
The students submitted a wide-ranging list of demands. Apart from the resignation of the chairman and secretary, they sought an eight-day response to objections concerning the Group B examination, an inquiry into alleged errors in the evaluation of the 2025 State Services Main and Agricultural Services examinations, and publication of the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Mumbai Crime Branch to MPSC.
They have also demanded a forensic audit of examinations conducted during the tenure of arrested MPSC under-secretary Abhijit Lendwe, scrutiny of the service records and promotion criteria of officials named in the investigation, examination of call-detail records of candidates allegedly linked to suspects, and investigation into the possible role of intermediaries.
The students further want an independent inquiry into doubts surrounding other MPSC results, a forensic audit of suspicious Drug Inspector examination results, complete transparency in the Oct 25 Group C preliminary examination and restoration of the stenographer post.
