Maharashtra forms panel to overhaul MPSC; aspirants end 10-day protest

Aspirants protesting in Pune against alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) officially ended their 10-day agitation late on Sunday night. The move followed an agreement between the state government and the protesters, centered on the formation of a high-level committee tasked with reviewing the recruitment body’s operations, including recent allegations of paper leaks.State Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale led the government delegation that met with the aspirants. He confirmed that senior IAS officer and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has been appointed as the Secretary of the inquiry committee. The panel, chaired by former judge Dilip Bhosale, also includes IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil, and retired judge P.D. Naik. In response to the protesters' primary demand, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar announced via social media that he has proceeded on leave for the duration of the investigation to maintain ethics and transparency.The government also addressed several other grievances raised by the students, including promises to expedite recruitment for 70,000 posts over the next three years and increase seat allocations for the Group C examination scheduled for January. Additionally, officials discussed implementing stricter background checks for future appointments to the MPSC’s leadership roles. Protester representative Vivekanad Patil stated that the agitation has been called off for the time being following these government assurances.The protests had recently intensified, with police registering cases against 15 representatives for unauthorized assembly and traffic obstruction. Throughout the agitation, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had supported the students, demanding that the government address issues affecting nearly 25 lakh students. Following the formation of the committee and Mr. Bhimanwar’s decision to step aside, MLA Pawar expressed hope that the newly appointed panel would be granted the necessary freedom to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the commission's functions.