The MPSC protest in Pune entered its eighth day on Thursday, October 8, with students continuing to demand the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and changes to ensure greater transparency in competitive examinations. No direct round of talks between the protesting students and the state government has taken place during the protest, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The demonstration began on October 1 near the S. M. Joshi Bridge and along Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in Pune. Students are seeking action over alleged question-paper leaks, irregularities in examinations and the functioning of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. Protesters have also alleged that the commission’s chairman, members and officials were involved in question-paper leak incidents. These remain allegations raised by the protesters and were not independently established in the supplied report.
The immediate dispute has widened from a demand concerning one office-holder to a broader concern about the credibility of the state’s competitive examination system. Students have maintained that the protest will not be withdrawn unless Bhimanwar resigns. The demand comes amid continuing anger among aspirants over examination administration and the need for a process they regard as transparent and reliable.
The protest in Pune followed a meeting of various student organisations with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, which lasted about three hours and focused on reforms to the MPSC’s functioning and other demands. After that meeting, the delegation announced the suspension of its protest in Mumbai. The Pune mobilisation subsequently took a different course, with a fresh demonstration 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. Police officials attempted to facilitate a settlement through discussions, but those efforts did not result in a resolution. The lack of direct government engagement has kept the dispute unresolved and extended the protest’s presence on a busy central Pune route.
A possibility of talks emerged on Thursday after it was stated from the protest site that two ministers from the state government would visit Pune to meet the students. However, no government representative arrived at the site during the day, and the proposed discussion did not take place. Neither the government nor the protesters had announced a concrete position on the next round of talks by the time of the report.
The continuing demonstration has implications beyond the immediate protest site because state recruitment examinations are a key route into public employment for thousands of candidates. Any prolonged uncertainty over examination processes can affect students’ preparation schedules, confidence in recruitment institutions and decisions about future examination attempts. The source report does not provide details of any formal government timetable for resolving the issue.
The health of two protesters, Rishikesh Gangarde and Gajanan Shelke, deteriorated on the night of October 7, after which they were admitted to Sassoon Hospital. Their condition was reported to be stable. The next official step remains uncertain, with students, Pune residents and other stakeholders awaiting clarity on whether the state government will initiate direct talks and how the demands concerning the MPSC chairman and examination transparency will be addressed.
