‘Students, not anti-nationals’: Bombay HC backs Pune protesters’ right to protest

The Bombay high court said the protesters’ grievances are serious even as it asked the students to return to classes

Protesters demanding greater transparency in Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams have the right to agitate if they believe there are lapses in the recruitment process, and the government should restore their trust, the Bombay high court said on Wednesday.

Thousands of job aspirants have been protesting at three sites in Pune. (PTI)

The court said the protesters’ grievances are serious even as it asked the students to return to classes. It directed the government to file an affidavit within three weeks providing a department- and reservation-wise break-up of nearly 70,000 vacancies. “They are students, not anti-nationals,” said a bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.

The bench was hearing Pune resident Amit Supekar’s petition seeking directions to authorities to provide designated space to the protesters. Supekar sought action against simultaneous “illegal” public agitations.

Thousands of job aspirants have been protesting at three sites in Pune despite denial of police permission. The protests are the latest in a series of such agitations. In July, student protests over examination irregularities forced the then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. Job aspirants and student unions, who were agitating against alleged irregularities in recruitment exams for nearly a month, announced a suspension of their sit-in after the Jharkhand government conceded to almost all their key demands.

Advocate general Milind Sathe, who appeared for the state, told the court that the demands include resignation of the MPSC chairman, reduction of examination fees to ₹100, and conducting all examinations offline. He said the state has accepted one of their demands. He added that a representation seeking action against the chairman has been sent to the governor.

The court stressed the importance of fair and impartial examinations. It added that the students are genuinely interested in making a career. “See the plight of the parents who have sent their children to study in Pune. These children are innocent. All parents in the country are in crisis,” it said. “No message should go across the country that it [Pune] is not a fit place for students, or the parents will also have their apprehension.” The bench assured it would look into how the state is dealing with the issue.

The court said it endeavors to ensure fair examinations and that the recruitment moves at a fast pace. It urged the students to withdraw the road-blocking, warning that prolonged agitation can hamper their career trajectory.

“We will ensure the recruitment drive is taken care of. All the forthcoming processes should be fair,” the bench said. It clarified that students who wished to continue their agitation would have to identify an appropriate place to avoid any public inconvenience. The court asked them to take permission from authorities. It added that the authorities could take action if protests continued without permission.

The protests in Pune followed the alleged drug inspector examination paper leak. Hundreds of aspirants, teachers, exam mentors, and politicians have joined them, demanding accountability.