The Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s chairman, Vivek Bhimanwar, has gone on leave until the completion of a state-ordered inquiry into alleged question paper leaks and the commission’s functioning, following an 11-day protest by aspirants in Pune.
Bhimanwar told The Indian Express that he decided to step aside after the state announced a committee with authority to examine the entire functioning of the MPSC. He said the decision was not prompted by political or external pressure and followed what he described as his “moral conscience”.
“As a committee has been announced that has the purview over the entire functioning of the MPSC and conduct an inquiry, I don’t feel it right to be on the post as the chairman for the time period,” Bhimanwar said. “I listened to my moral conscience and decided that I will go on leave for this period.”
The chairman also denied receiving any direction from the Chief Minister’s Office. Asked whether there had been pressure to take the decision, Bhimanwar said there was none and that the decision was entirely his. He declined to comment on whether he had been made a political scapegoat.
The MPSC has five other members: Dr Abhay Wagh, Dr Satish Deshpande, Satish Waghole, Rajeev Nivatkar and Dr Dilip Patil-Bhujbal. Bhimanwar said he could not comment on whether the other members would also go on leave to avoid a possible conflict of interest, adding that each member would have to decide independently.
The Indian Express reported that Deshpande, Nivatkar and Waghole said they were unaware that the inquiry committee had been formed and had no knowledge of Bhimanwar’s decision. Wagh and Bhujbal did not respond to repeated phone calls, according to the report. The members declined to comment on the protests and the students’ demands, saying it would not be appropriate for them to speak to the media.
MPSC aspirants had been protesting at the S M Joshi Bridge in Pune over alleged malpractices and paper leaks in government recruitment examinations. The agitation was called off after Public Works Department Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale met the protesters, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar and Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, and the state government accepted the protesters’ demands.
The inquiry committee will examine all allegations of question paper leaks in MPSC examinations, review the commission’s functioning, identify shortcomings and recommend improvements. It is required to submit its report to the state government within two months.
Former Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dilip Bhosale will chair the committee. Its other members will include former Justice P D Naik, state Food and Drug Administration commissioner Mundhe, retired secretary Ganesh Patil and Lakhmi Gautam, Inspector General of Police.
The inquiry now places the commission’s examination systems and internal functioning under formal review. The next stated milestone is the committee’s report to the government within two months, while Bhimanwar is expected to remain on leave until the probe is completed.
