MPSC secretary to be transferred, judicial probe ordered

The announcement came after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met a delegation of MPSC aspirants at his official residence, Varsha, on Wednesday

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced that the secretary of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) would be transferred immediately and a judicial inquiry would be conducted within three months into the functioning of former and current chairpersons and members, following a major paper leak that led to widespread protests.

The announcement came after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met a delegation of MPSC aspirants at his official residence, Varsha, on Wednesday. (HT Archive)

The announcement came after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met a delegation of MPSC aspirants at his official residence, Varsha, on Wednesday. Following a nearly two-hour meeting, the students announced that their agitation scheduled for October 2 would be temporarily suspended.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the students were assured that the inquiry report would be submitted within three months and that further action would be taken based on its findings.

Among the delegation’s demands was the removal of MPSC chairperson VL Bhimanwar and other commission members, the transfer of MPSC secretary Mahendra Harpalkar, and an increase in vacancies for the upcoming Group C examination.

The students had sought action against the MPSC chairperson and other members under Article 317 of the Constitution, which governs the removal and suspension of a member of a Public Service Commission.

According to officials, Fadnavis told the delegation that since the post of MPSC chairperson is a constitutional position, neither the state government nor the governor has the authority to directly remove the chairperson. Only the president can remove the chairperson, and any such demand must be grounded in firm evidence.

If the inquiry recommends removing the chairperson, the report will be forwarded to the president for further action in accordance with constitutional provisions, officials said.

“We demanded the removal of the chairperson, but the constitutional provision was cited as the reason,” said Nitesh Suryawanshi, one of the students who was part of the delegation. “We are still demanding that the chairperson should resign on ethical grounds, taking responsibility for the paper leaks, as has happened in other states such as Telangana. We have decided to suspend the proposed protest on October 2, but resentment still remains among the students. We will decide on further protests at a later stage based on the developments.”

The chief minister also assured the students that MPSC examinations would continue to be conducted offline, and no separate decision to change the exam format would be taken without discussions with student groups, officials said.

The state government has already ordered a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into alleged malpractices in the MPSC examinations. A committee headed by senior IAS officer V Radha is also being constituted to recommend comprehensive reforms in the examination system, including guidelines for interviews.

The government also accepted the students’ demand to increase vacancies for the upcoming Group C examination scheduled for January 3. Officials said recruitment rules are being updated across departments, with preparations underway to fill more vacant posts.

The chief minister further assured the students that a single-card system would be introduced for multiple examinations, similar to systems followed in some other states, officials said. However, he did not agree to the demand to conduct all examinations for ₹100, on the lines of the system in Rajasthan, stating that the examination fee should not be reduced to a level that could compromise the integrity and administrative requirements of the examination system.

The students were assured that the single card would be made available at a reasonable cost. Arrangements would also be made to ensure that candidates do not have to submit the same documents for different examinations, officials said.

Going forward, the state government plans to announce three years’ worth of vacancies together, while recruitment for posts expected to become vacant due to retirements will begin one year in advance. A comprehensive recruitment programme is expected to be finalised within one month.

The development comes months after the cancellation of the drug inspector recruitment examination in Maharashtra due to a paper leak, leading to the cancellation of the recruitment process. The incident sparked intense protests, with aspirants and opposition leaders demanding the resignation of the MPSC chairperson and secretary, citing systemic corruption and operational lapses.