MMRDA faces scrutiny over perfect top scorers in recruitment exam

MUMBAI: Candidates who took various recruitment examinations for government bodies – including Pune municipal Corporation (PMC), MahaTransco, MIDC, Mahajeevan Authority, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) -- have demanded a scrutiny into the provisional merit list of MMRDA’s recruitment examination for 82 posts, after some found that 13 of the top 20 scorers were allotted the same centre in Nagpur on May 12

MUMBAI: Candidates who took various recruitment examinations for government bodies – including Pune municipal Corporation (PMC), MahaTransco, MIDC, Mahajeevan Authority, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) -- have demanded a scrutiny into the provisional merit list of MMRDA’s recruitment examination for 82 posts, after some found that 13 of the top 20 scorers were allotted the same centre in Nagpur on May 12.

The candidates also pointed to a huge difference between the MMRDA exam’s top scorers’ marks and their scores in earlier recruitment exams. Consequently, they have demanded an independent inquiry into the examination process and verification of the result.

Based on the results displayed on the websites of organisations that held the examinations, candidates analysed the data and found score differences among some candidates who took different exams. They tracked the location of an exam centre through the centre code.

The examination for the government bodies was for the post of junior engineer (JE). MMRDA received 14,714 applications for 82 vacancies. The JE exam process was conducted over six months across the state; all exams have a uniform level of questioning regarding subjects covered, difficulty levels and rigour.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) conducted the MMRDA recruitment examination between May 11 and 12 across centres in eight districts of Maharashtra.

Prasad Jadhav, who is a representative of Engineers’ Association, comprising candidates who are prepping for various competitive exams, and himself a candidate from Pune, who took the MMRDA, BMC and PMC exams for the JE level, said, “We compared the marks of some candidates in different recruitment examinations. A candidate who scored 194 out of 200 marks in the MMRDA examination had scored only 7.5 marks out of 100 in another examination. Another candidate who scored 192 out of 200 in MMRDA had scored only 15 marks in the BMC examination. Such differences have created doubts in the minds of candidates.”

A candidate, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “If the examination was completely clean, the authorities should have no problem sharing the response sheets, audit logs and other details as per the rules. We only want all doubts cleared before the final selection.”

The Engineers’ Association has also written to MMRDA’s metropolitan commissioner demanding transparency. It sought CCTV footage of candidates who secured high marks, response sheets of selected candidates, audit log reports showing the time and answering pattern of candidates, and independent verification of the identity and qualifications of selected candidates.

Dhananjay Shinde, general secretary, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), said, “I have written to the MMRDA commissioner on behalf of MPCC and demanded an immediate, transparent, and independent inquiry into the examination. We have also demanded a court-monitored SIT inquiry so that the truth is established and responsibility is fixed.”

In a post on X, MP Supriya Sule demanded the recruitment process be cancelled and an inquiry be conducted under the supervision of the high court if irregularities were found.

MMRDA, however, rejected allegations of malpractice, stating the recruitment process was conducted according to government rules. A statement issued by the body stated TCS was selected as the examination agency under a Maharashtra government resolution that allows TCS-ION and IBPS to conduct online recruitment examinations for such government posts.

The statement added that candidates were given an opportunity to raise objections to questions and answers between May 19 and May 23. A total of 340 objections were received, which were processed by TCS by June 12.

The statement said the provisional merit list is now being verified, following which the final merit list will be published.

“The allegations regarding a scam or malpractice are entirely baseless. No malpractice of any kind has occurred. The examination, objection process and preparation of the provisional merit list were carried out according to the prescribed procedure,” it said.