The MPSC student protest in Pune intensified on Saturday as candidates banged plates and spoons to protest what they described as government inaction over examination irregularities, postponed tests and stalled recruitment. The students have been protesting for 10 days and said they would not withdraw until Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar resigns and recruitment for 70,000 posts begins.
The protest is being held near Garware College and the S.M. Joshi Bridge, with another group demonstrating on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road. The students said their demands had not received a decision despite the protest continuing for more than a week. They warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government did not take steps towards a resolution.
The concerns raised by the protesters include alleged paper leaks in MPSC examinations, examinations being repeatedly postponed and recruitment remaining pending. The agitation has also brought policing and the management of public demonstrations into focus after protesters alleged that cases and notices had been issued against participating students.
Nationalist Congress Party legislator Rohit Pawar, who has been participating in the protest, alleged that police action was being taken against students. He said he had been present at the protest site for 24 hours a day over the past 10 days and had been speaking more aggressively than the students. “Why are you taking action against the students? If action has to be taken, take it against me,” he said, according to Lokmat – Pune.
Pawar also met senior police officers at the Vishrambaug police station regarding the issue. Applications seeking permission for the protest were submitted, according to the report. The students’ allegations about cases and notices were reported in the context of the ongoing demonstration; the supplied report does not provide details of the specific offences or the number of notices issued.
The protest also faced a dispute over the use of a mobile jammer vehicle at the site. Pawar objected that the jammer would prevent the demonstration from being livestreamed and suggested that the students consider moving to Tilak Chowk. The report does not specify the duration or operational details of the jamming equipment.
The students said they were willing to hold discussions with the government but wanted the government to take the initiative. “The government should take one step forward and we are also ready for discussions. The issue can be resolved through talks,” they said, while warning that the protest would become more intense if an early solution was not reached.
The agitation has received support from members of the transgender community. Disha Sheikh said the community fully supported the students’ struggle for what she described as their legitimate rights. The report did not mention any formal government decision on the students’ demands or a confirmed date for talks. The protesters said they would continue the agitation until their demands were addressed.
