The MPSC student protest in Pune entered its eighth day on Thursday as candidates demanded action over alleged examination paper leaks, the resignation of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman, greater transparency in recruitment examinations and the publication of pending appointments.
The agitation is being held near the S. M. Joshi Bridge. Students said they would not withdraw until their demands were addressed, arguing that uncertainty over examination integrity was undermining years of preparation and the financial sacrifices made by families in rural areas to support their education.
One student appealed to other candidates to join the protest, saying that discussions in libraries, messes and tea stalls would not resolve the issue. The student described the agitation as a struggle over the future of candidates preparing for government employment.
Former Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope, speaker Nitin Banugade-Patil and former judge B. G. Kolse-Patil visited the protest site on Thursday and expressed support for the students. Tope said ensuring a transparent examination process and taking strict action against those who compromise the future of candidates were responsibilities of the government. He also called for a detailed investigation into the alleged paper leak and punishment for those found responsible.
The claims about the scale of the alleged malpractice were made by protesting student Rishikesh Gangurde. According to the report, Gangurde alleged that the paper for the drug inspector post was being sold for Rs 50 lakh and the Group B paper for Rs 60 lakh. He further claimed that a so-called master paper containing 90 of 100 questions had been circulated through a network of intermediaries. These claims have been made by the protester and were not independently established in the supplied report.
The students have demanded that the Group B 2025 examination be cancelled and that the allegations be investigated by a Special Investigation Team. The protest has also brought attention to the wider problem of delayed recruitment, where candidates may spend years preparing for examinations while depending on a process whose credibility they say must be protected by the examining authority and the government.
Police issued announcements at the S. M. Joshi Bridge indicating that the protesters should clear the location. The students objected, saying permission had initially been granted for the agitation at the same place and questioned why they were now being asked to leave. Rohit Pawar said the protesters would remain until their demands were met and warned that any attempt to forcibly remove them would lead to a sit-in at Lokmanya Tilak Chowk.
The protest has also involved a hunger strike. Seven students were reported to be fasting at the site. Two of them, Rishikesh Gangurde and Gajanan Shelke, were taken to hospital during the night after five days of fasting because of low blood sugar levels. After treatment and an improvement in their condition, both returned to the protest venue and said they intended to continue the agitation.
The students have maintained that the protest will continue until the commission chairman resigns and action is taken on their demands. The immediate next steps include the continuation of the agitation, the students’ demand for an SIT inquiry and further decisions by the authorities on the examination and the protest site.
