MPSC Aspirants End Pune Protest After Chairman Goes on Leave

An 11-day agitation by Maharashtra Public Service Commission aspirants in Pune ended after MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar went on leave, boosting the political standing of Opposition legislators Rohit Pawar and Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam. The protests started on September 7 over alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks, with demonstrators demanding Bhimanwar's removal.

Political Involvement

NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam positioned themselves as key advocates for the students by sleeping on stage and coordinating support. Pawar served as a primary intermediary between the government and students, issuing deadlines and arranging discussions. The agitation also drew support from Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi. The ruling BJP criticized the Opposition for exploiting the student protests for political gain, while student representatives maintained the grievances were genuine.

Government Action

Facing intense pressure, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government removed MPSC secretary Mahendra Harpalkar and formed a panel headed by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Dilip Bhosale, with FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde as panel secretary. Fadnavis noted that Bhimanwar could not be directly removed by the Cabinet due to Constitutional safeguards under Article 317 requiring presidential procedure, but Bhimanwar eventually proceeded on leave.

Context

Public service commissions conduct competitive examinations for government recruitment, making transparency vital for thousands of aspirants from rural and middle-class backgrounds. Constitutional safeguards protect commission members to ensure independent functioning, which explains why direct executive removal is legally complex.