MPSC students protesting on Pune’s Shastri Road have received support from MLA Amit Gorkhe, who said he would raise their demand over the examination format during the upcoming legislative session. Gorkhe met the protesting students and said their concerns should be taken up through the legislature.
The students are seeking the continuation of an objective, or multiple-choice, examination format. According to the report, they are currently protesting in support of this demand. Gorkhe said he understood their concerns because he had himself once prepared for MPSC examinations and had travelled from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Pune to study at Chanakya Mandal.
Recalling his own experience, Gorkhe said financial circumstances had prevented him from achieving success in the examination. He said that background had given him a close understanding of the difficulties faced by students preparing for competitive examinations in Pune.
Gorkhe said objective questions provide a clearer basis for assessment and argued that this was why students were insisting on the format. He also criticised the prolonged gathering of students, saying their valuable preparation time was being lost. He assured the protesters that he would become their voice in the forthcoming legislative session.
The MLA also alleged that some people were using the students’ issue for political purposes. He accused opponents of trying to influence the protest and said statements on the matter should be made only after studying the issue. These comments were part of his response to the political debate surrounding the students’ demand.
Gorkhe urged the students not to believe rumours and asked them to retain faith in the government and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He said some groups were attempting to spread what he described as a false narrative about the issue. According to him, the chief minister had previously resolved students’ concerns and would address this matter as well.
The dispute places Pune’s role as a major destination for competitive-examination preparation in direct focus. Students from Pimpri-Chinchwad and other parts of the wider urban region travel into Pune for coaching and study, making examination rules a matter with consequences beyond the test itself. Changes in format can affect preparation schedules, study methods and the time students spend pursuing government careers.
The report does not specify whether the government has issued a final decision on the examination format or provide details of any formal order. Gorkhe said he and others would take the matter forward during the upcoming legislative session, where the students’ concerns are expected to be raised.
