CM orders SIT probe into MPSC exam malpractices

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged malpractices in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams, and announced a committee to be set up under senior IAS officer V Radha to recommend comprehensive reforms in the exam system, which will include guidelines for interviews

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged malpractices in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams, and announced a committee to be set up under senior IAS officer V Radha to recommend comprehensive reforms in the exam system, which will include guidelines for interviews.

The chief minister made the announcement following a meeting with a delegation of protesters at his official residence Varsha, on Thursday. After the meeting, he accepted their demands for transparency in conducting the exams and a recheck of the mains, placing an immediate stay on the interviews scheduled for later this month.

In state-wide protests over the last few months, MPSC aspirants took to the streets to expose alleged malpractices in the evaluation of descriptive answer papers in the main examination and agriculture services exams, held between April and May 2026. A separate paper leak incident involving the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug inspector (Group B) exam held in January, added grist to the protests.

Students and aspirants came out in large numbers in cities such as Pune, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among others.

The protesters also demanded that the preliminary inquiry report submitted by the Mumbai Crime Branch to MPSC in connection with the alleged paper leak for the FDA exam be made public. While the exam was conducted in January, the paper leak was revealed in July. On the back of these revelations, they sought the removal of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.

While he gave in to most of their demands, Fadnavis declined their demand to remove Bhimanwar, arguing that he was not in the post when the alleged malpractices took place. “It’s not fair to punish a person who was not in the chair when the anomalies were reported. On what basis can the state government take such a call,” Fadnavis said.

After the meeting, the chief minister admitted to “loopholes in the examination system”. “We have nothing to hide. Instead, the state government wants to take corrective measures to ensure transparent and fair examinations. While the crime branch is already conducting an investigation into the paper leak in drug inspector exam, the government will initiate an SIT probe into the overall alleged examination malpractices. The procedure will be completed in eight days,” said Fadnavis.

“We also accept the demand of re-checking the answer sheets of the mains. The government will urge MPSC to provide answer sheets under the RTI Act. The crime branch’s preliminary report will also be made public,” he said, adding that a dedicated grievance redressal cell, headed by a retired judge, will also be established at MPSC.

The new committee that will suggest comprehensive reforms will consult students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders across the state. Fadnavis added that similar reforms will also be undertaken in police recruitment, including a uniform marks pattern across districts, and deploy technology for physical exams.

“The CM has accepted all of our major demands, for which we are grateful. We will now wait for eight days to see the government’s action on the various issues raised by us,” said Pune-based aspirant and activist Nikhil Patil, who was accompanied by another aspirant and activist Tushar Deshmukh and representatives of MPSC coaching classes -- Sachin Dhawale from Pune and Vithal Kangane from Marathwada.