The MPSC protest in Pune entered its eighth day on Thursday, October 8, with students continuing their agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and demanding the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar. No direct round of talks between the state government and the protesters had taken place during the eight-day period, according to a report by Sakal.
The protest began on October 1 near the S M Joshi Bridge and along Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in Pune. The students have raised demands linked to alleged question-paper leaks, examination irregularities and greater transparency in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s examination system. They have also alleged that the commission’s chairperson, members and officials were involved in question-paper leak incidents. These remain allegations made by the protesters.
The students have maintained that the agitation will not be withdrawn unless Bhimanwar resigns. The continuing standoff has left the government and the protesters holding to their respective positions, with no publicly announced agreement on a formal dialogue or settlement.
The latest impasse follows a meeting of various student organisations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on reforms to the MPSC’s functioning and other demands. The meeting reportedly lasted around three hours. After it, the delegation announced the suspension of its agitation in Mumbai. Developments in Pune, however, took a different course, with a fresh protest beginning near the S M Joshi Bridge in Navi Peth under the leadership of legislator Rohit Pawar.
The Pune protest has also received support from opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, according to the report. That political backing has added visibility to the students’ demands, but it has not resulted in a direct government-protester meeting during the current eight-day protest.
The police also attempted to facilitate discussions to end the agitation through dialogue, but those efforts did not succeed. Protesters said on Thursday that two ministers from the state government would visit the site for discussions. No government representative arrived at the protest venue during the day, leaving the expected talks unrealised.
The continuing protest has created a public administration challenge beyond the examination demands themselves. MPSC examinations are an important route into Maharashtra’s state services, and allegations concerning question-paper security and examination transparency directly affect candidates who invest significant time and resources in the process. The absence of an established dialogue mechanism has allowed the dispute to continue without a publicly stated roadmap for resolution.
The prolonged agitation has also begun to affect the health of participants. On the night of October 7, students Rishikesh Gangarde and Gajanan Shelke were admitted to Sassoon Hospital after their health deteriorated. Their condition was later reported to be stable.
As of Thursday, neither the state government nor the protesters had announced a concrete position on the next round of talks. The immediate question remains who will initiate formal discussions and whether the demand for the commission chairperson’s resignation can be addressed through the process being sought by the students.
