Dharashiv: The suicide of MPSC aspirant Prathamesh Deshmukh has raised questions over the difficulties faced by competitive-examination aspirants, with CJP convenor Abhijit Dipke alleging that government failures and financial pressures are pushing youngsters into severe distress.
Dipke on Thursday visited the residence of Deshmukh at Khasapuri village in Dharashiv district. Deshmukh, who was preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations, died by suicide.
Speaking to reporters, Dipke said youngsters from rural and small-town areas move to cities with dreams of clearing competitive examinations such as the MPSC and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and becoming government officers.
“Youngsters come to cities with great hopes of becoming officers and serving the country and the government. But a youngster like Prathamesh had to take his own life because of the failure of the very government he wanted to serve,” he said.
Dipke questioned the government over what he described as a stark contrast between the financial hardships faced by youngsters and the relief extended to large industrial borrowers.
“Think about it. A youngster in the country is losing his life over a debt of just Rs2.5 lakh, while, on the other hand, loans worth Rs16 lakh crore of industrialists have been waived over the past 10 years,” Dipke claimed.
Referring to businessman Subhash Chandra, Dipke further alleged that a loan of Rs22,000 crore was settled for Rs6 crore.
“Then who exactly is this government working for? Is it not responsible for youngsters like Prathamesh?” he asked.
Dipke also linked the difficulties faced by aspirants to problems surrounding competitive examinations, including alleged irregularities, paper leaks and delays in declaring results.
“How can one say that Prathamesh’s suicide had no connection with the MPSC system? Every year, students face problems related to examinations, paper leaks and delayed results. Is it easy for a student to stay in Pune and prepare for these exams?” Dipke said.
Pointing to the financial burden on students from rural backgrounds, Dipke said a student from a poor family coming to Pune may have to spend at least Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 a month on basic living expenses while preparing for competitive examinations.
He said the financial and academic pressures faced by aspirants from rural areas needed to be addressed, while urging the government to take greater responsibility for supporting students preparing for competitive examinations.
