Students in Pune unhappy with MPSC decision to restrict number of attempts

Candidates from the open category will now have only six attempts, OBC candidates will have nine attempts and there won’t be any limit for attempts for SC and ST category candidates

After the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) announced to limit attempts for candidates for its competitive examinations, students preparing for these exams have been upset. Several student organisations have written directly to the state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday to rethink about this decision as it will affect thousands of candidates now.

While student organisations have also opposed this decision, Kuldeep Ambekar, president of students’ helping hand organisation said, the decision taken by the state government in restricting the attempts especially for the open category students is worrying. (Sushil Kumar/HT Photo)

According to the MPSC’s order issued on December 30, candidates from the open category will now have only six attempts, OBC candidates will have nine attempts and there won’t be any limit for attempts for SC and ST category candidates.

“It is my sixth attempt for the MPSC competitive exams which I will appear in the year 2021 and if I couldn’t make it then it will be the last attempt. This decision taken by the state government is certainly not right, as I am preparing and giving various competitive exams from the last five years. I come from a farmer’s family from a remote village in Solapur district; my parents are struggling hard only to send me money for my studies. And if such decisions on restrictions on attempts are implemented then it would be the end for me and several other students preparing for MPSC exams,” said Sagar Abnawe, a student preparing for MPSC student.

While student organisations have also opposed this decision, Kuldeep Ambekar, president of students’ helping hand organisation said, “The decision taken by the state government in restricting the attempts especially for the open category students is worrying. Already the reservation issue is hot and Maratha community reservation case is pending in Supreme Court, on that background this decision is not right. Compared to UPSC administration, the MPSC and its officials working are very careless. Also, students have suffered a lot due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now they were again preparing for exams when this order was made. We have given a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray to reconsider this decision and take it back for the benefit of lakhs of students in the state.”

While Kalpesh Yadav, Pune city president, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena said, “Today for a few hundred posts opened by MPSC, lakhs of students appeared for the exams in hope that they will crack it and get a chance to serve our Maharashtra state. When this order was issued yesterday, students got worried and it’s confusing them, MPSC should give proper and clear information about it to students. While putting restrictions on number of attempts, MPSC should also try to improve their own management of work-related to conducting the exams.”