MPSC postpones preliminary exam, will announce new date later; 5 aspirants detained in Pune

PUNE : The MPSC on Thursday said it has postponed the Maharashtra Gazetted Civil Services Combined Preliminary Examination, scheduled to be held on August 25, amid a protest by aspirants pushing for a date change and making a few more demands. The state-run recruitment body announced the postponement in a post on X. The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) said it would announce the new exam date in the coming days.

Many government job seekers, preparing for the MPSC preliminary exam, have been protesting in Pune since Tuesday night demanding a different date, saying it (August 25) clashed with the Indian Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) test for clerical positions. They also want recruitment to more posts done through this state-level exam. “In a meeting today, it has been decided to postpone the Maharashtra Gazetted Civil Services Combined Preliminary Examination. The new date of the said exam will be announced soon,” the MPSC said in the post on X.

However, the protesting candidates were not satisfied with the announcement, saying they would continue with their agitation till their main demand for bringing 258 posts from the agriculture department under the ambit of the latest MPSC prelims was accepted. “Our agitation will continue till our other demands like the inclusion of 258 posts of the agriculture department (in MPSC exam) are met," declared a candidate.

Five agitators were detained on Thursday after they tried to block a key road in Pune city and create law and order problem, a senior police official said. "Despite our request, a few agitators created a ruckus and tried to block the Lal Bahadur Shastri Road (LBS) Road. As a disciplinary action, we detained five agitators," he said. The detained job aspirants were later released, added the official.

Earlier, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had sided with the candidates, warning he would join the agitation if the government failed to make its stand clear on the matter. “It is the responsibility of the state government to consider the interests of students taking the MPSC exam … "However, it seems, the rulers are not taking it seriously. By tomorrow (Thursday), if the government does not clarify its stand, I will go to the agitation venue and take part in the agitation to ensure justice for the candidates,” he wrote on X late on Wednesday night. NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has expressed solidarity with the agitating MPSC aspirants and joined their stir.