The Maharashtra government has handed the additional charge of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) chairman to commission member Satish Baban Waghole after incumbent Vivek Bhimanwar went on leave amid an inquiry into alleged examination paper leaks. The General Administration Department issued the order assigning Waghole the interim responsibility and also appointed Mumbai Suburban district collector Saurabh Katiyar as MPSC secretary in addition to his existing duties.
The government order states that Waghole will serve as MPSC chairman on an additional-charge basis. Katiyar, an IAS officer currently serving as the Mumbai Suburban district collector, has similarly been given the additional charge of MPSC secretary. The appointments are intended to maintain the commission’s functioning while the state sets the inquiry process in motion.
Bhimanwar’s decision to go on leave followed the state government’s announcement of a proposed inquiry committee headed by retired Justice Dilip Bhosale. The committee is expected to investigate allegations concerning leaks and irregularities in MPSC recruitment examinations. According to the government announcement cited in the report, the committee will have two months to complete its inquiry.
The formal notification establishing the committee is expected to be issued after approval from the Governor. The government is then expected to consider the committee’s findings before deciding on further action. The interim leadership arrangement therefore comes before the inquiry has formally begun and does not establish whether the allegations are proven.
The leadership changes follow sustained protests by competitive examination aspirants in Pune. Students staged an 11-day protest seeking an independent investigation, greater transparency in the commission’s examination procedures and accountability from its senior leadership. Their demands included action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, including the Drug Inspector examination held in March, as well as calls for the resignation of the commission’s leadership.
Katiyar’s additional charge as MPSC secretary follows the transfer of former secretary Mahendra Harpalkar. The government’s decision to bring in an acting chairman and assign the secretary’s responsibilities to a serving district collector places the commission’s immediate administrative continuity alongside the broader question of how examination-related complaints are handled.
Bhimanwar had said he was going on leave while the inquiry was under way and stated that he had always prioritised ethics in his professional life. The Bhosale committee’s notification, its examination of the allegations and the government’s response to its findings will determine the next formal steps in the matter.
