Maharashtra public service commission postpones preliminary exam

The decision comes in response to protests by students preparing for competitive exams for various state government positions

Pune: The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to postpone its preliminary examination, originally scheduled for 25 August, following a meeting held on Thursday.

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to postpone its preliminary examination, originally scheduled for 25 August. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image)

The decision comes in response to protests by students preparing for competitive exams for various state government positions. The aspirants had been staging demonstrations in Pune, objecting to the MPSC's decision not to schedule exams for the agriculture department alongside those for other departments. Additionally, they demanded a postponement of the exams, as the scheduled date conflicted with the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) exams, affecting candidates intending to appear for both.

In light of the agitation, Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister, had on Wednesday urged the MPSC chairman to respond positively to the students' demands.

A meeting to address these concerns was held in Mumbai, attended by Commission members and a delegation of protesting students. Following the discussions, the MPSC announced on its X (formerly Twitter) account: "In the commission meeting held today, it has been decided to postpone the Maharashtra Gazetted Civil Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2024 scheduled on 25th August 2024. The exam date will be announced soon."

The protest has taken on political dimensions, with Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), issuing an ultimatum. Pawar stated that if the government does not take the agitation seriously and clarify its position today, he would join the protest. Other NCP (SP) leaders, including Rohit Pawar and Supriya Sule, have visited the protest site at Navi Peth, where demonstrators have blocked the LBS road as part of their campaign.

The MPSC's decision to postpone the exam is expected to alleviate some of the concerns raised by the protesting students. However, it remains to be seen how the government will address the broader issues surrounding the scheduling of various departmental exams and the potential overlap with other competitive examinations.