Maharashtra CM Fadnavis accepts MPSC aspirants' demands, promises action within 8 days

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said his government will take time-bound action on all demands raised by MPSC aspirants, including rechecking of examinations and SIT probes into suspected irregularities. The government is interested in improving the system and not in hiding anything, he said. Steps related to cases, investigations and recommendations would be initiated within the next eight days, he said while addressing a delegation of MPSC students. The recent controversy should be used as an opportunity to plug loopholes in the examination system, the CM asserted.

"If there has been any irregularity, we cannot give justice by hiding it. We have to find it out. Therefore, whether it is the demand for rechecking, an inquiry or an SIT probe, I have accepted all the demands you have raised," he told the delegation. He said complaints regarding examinations would first be verified and cases where a prima facie irregularity was found would be referred to the SIT for a detailed investigation. Fadnavis said the government was ready to order rechecking of the Group B and Group C examinations held before and in 2025. "Whether it is an MPSC officer, a student or an agent, there is no reason to save anyone if they have helped in any wrongdoing," he said.

Also read MPSC cancels Drug Inspector recruitment over paper leak; re-exam date soon

The chief minister said the government would also make available the MPSC examination papers, as demanded by the aspirants. He said confusion over marks in examinations such as Agriculture Services and Food Safety Officer (FSO) would also be examined, and rechecking would be undertaken. Fadnavis said the preliminary report submitted by the crime branch would also be made public. Examinations conducted over the last two-three years would be investigated through the SIT, and the role of agents would also be examined. "The investigation has not ended with the arrests. We are now trying to find the backward linkages, whom these accused persons spoke to and who else may be involved," he said. He said recommendations of the Rajurkar Committee on issues raised by the aspirants would be examined and appropriate recommendations would be implemented.

On the demand for changes in the recruitment process, Fadnavis said the government would consider giving preference to candidates who have already appeared for multiple examinations so that their years of preparation were not wasted. He also agreed to examine issues concerning police recruitment, including the demand for chips to ensure transparency. The alleged Rs 9,000 PF issue would also be investigated, the CM added. "A uniform system for awarding marks in police recruitment would be considered for all districts instead of allowing different systems to operate at the level of individual district superintendents of police," Fadnavis said. He said problems related to recruitment through SARTHI and Mahajyoti would also be addressed.

Also read ‘Don't turn it into political agenda’: MPSC chairman denies allegations against him over drug paper leak

Our target is next exam: Fadnavis

On interviews carrying 275 marks, Fadnavis said proper guidelines were required to prevent subjective assessment. "It cannot be that someone gets marks because I like his face and someone does not get marks because I do not like his face. This system is not right," he said. The chief minister also assured a probe into allegations concerning PMC and MMRDA-related examinations. On the demand for the resignation of the MPSC chairman, Fadnavis said action should be taken against the person actually responsible for any irregularity. "Ultimately, action should be taken against the person who is actually responsible. If it is the chairman, action should be taken against him too. Evidence against the chairman, secretary or any other official can be submitted. The government is ready for an independent inquiry," the CM said.

Fadnavis said all the demands raised by the aspirants, including four additional demands, had been accepted and action would be taken in a time-bound manner. The immediate priority was to ensure the next Maharashtra Public Service Commission examination is conducted with complete transparency, he said. Around 12.5 lakh applications have been received for the examinations, though some may be duplicate applications or may be excluded for other reasons. "Our target is the next examination. It must be conducted 100 per cent transparently," he said. Fadnavis also said the government was considering setting up a dedicated grievance cell within the MPSC, possibly under a retired judge, which would function independently. The cell would enable candidates to raise their grievances and receive responses without having to depend on the existing MPSC mechanism, Fadnavis said. He also said evidence relating to Telegram would be examined and back-tracing would be carried out to identify those involved. "The recent incident has given us an opportunity to correct the entire system. We are interested in improving the system; we have no interest in hiding anything," Fadnavis said.