MPSC aspirants stage massive protest in Pune over alleged exam frauds, demand reforms
Pune, Sep 7 (IANS) Thousands of aspirants preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations took to the streets of Pune on Monday, staging a massive Akrosh Morcha to protest alleged exam irregularities, recurring paper leaks and corruption in the state’s recruitment process.
The march, which began at Omkareshwar Temple and culminated at the District Collectorate, drew widespread participation from students and support from opposition parties including the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), the Indian National Congress, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
Clad in a black shirt as a symbol of protest against the state administration and the commission, MLA Rohit Pawar addressed the overflowing crowd of candidates from atop a vehicle, launching a fierce attack on MPSC leadership.
Highlighting recent revelations surrounding the MPSC Excise (Departmental) Examination, Rohit Pawar alleged direct institutional complicity in administrative malpractices, pointing to reports implicating a high-ranking joint secretary-level officer in leaking exam marking patterns.
“It is deeply shocking that while students dedicate 20 hours a day to rigorous preparation, officials within the commission are allegedly selling exam materials. This injustice against hardworking candidates will not be tolerated. This march is not political; it is a fight for the future of our youth,” he stated.
The protesters have demanded the immediate removal and replacement of the current MPSC Chairman and Secretary and press for their replacement with officers of unblemished integrity, comprehensive criminal investigations and strict legal proceedings against all officials and middlemen implicated in scam allegations and pattern leaks and complete structural reform and cleansing of the MPSC examination and recruitment frameworks.
Dismissing allegations that opposition parties are politicising the issue, Rohit Pawar emphasised that the protest represents genuine public outrage. “Are the demands of students seeking fair opportunities political? These candidates have assembled of their own accord to protect their rights. People paying 50 to 60 lakh rupees to secure posts through corruption will not be accepted by these students or by the state of Maharashtra,” he added.
The massive turnout underscores the rising discontent among competitive exam aspirants in Maharashtra, with student bodies affirming that the agitation will persist until the state government addresses their demands and ensures an uncompromised recruitment process.
The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal said that due to the paper leak, the hard work and future of lakhs of students have been reduced to ashes. With the resignation of the MPSC Chairman, the Congress firmly supports the massive outrage march in Pune for the students’ rightful demands, he added.
“It is essential that the functioning of an autonomous and sensitive institution like MPSC be transparent, impartial, and credible. Congress will not tolerate any compromise on the transparency and credibility of this process, which is linked to the future of students. Congress’s clear stance is that the exam must be transparent, the recruitment process must be fair, and students’ hard work must receive justice. To hold the government accountable for playing with students’ futures, Congress will stand shoulder to shoulder with the students and join this struggle. The students’ voice cannot be suppressed; their fight for justice will now become even louder,” said Sapkal in his post on X.
Further, the Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that the MPSC President and Secretary are responsible for the paper leak and the mega scam. This scam could not have happened without the direct patronage of the government. The paper leak has been government-sponsored. If this system had worked honestly, the paper leak would never have happened. He told reporters that the Mahayuti government has betrayed the trust of honest students by playing with their future! We will never tolerate this injustice.
“We fully support the students’ movement against the corrupt functioning of MPSC and against the government. For the rights of the students and until these corrupt officers are removed, we will not sit quietly. We will participate in this student movement with full force,” he said.
The state BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban claimed that the MPSC protest is not for the students but for Rohit Pawar’s political career. He further said that the Congress is firing guns off the shoulders of students.
Speaking to the media, Ban noted, “Rohit Pawar’s love for MPSC students is merely hypocritical affection. We will fulfil legitimate demands of the students; however, a fitting response will be given to political drama.”
–IANS
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