On 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti, while much of India’s attention was focused on Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Shivaji Park in Mumbai, hundreds of public service aspirants came together in Pune to agitate against the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
For the young men and women squatting at Pune’s iconic S.M. Joshi Bridge, named after the socialist leader and freedom fighter, the MPSC’s continuing failures have meant the loss of their best years, money their families can scarcely afford, and the promise that has underpinned India’s social mobility for generations — study hard, compete fairly and you have a chance to make it.
Over the past five years, aspirants have endured question-paper errors, alleged leaks, a cyber breach, repeated postponements, changing examination patterns, disputed vacancies, evaluation controversies and finally a confirmed leak that forced an entire recruitment process to be scrapped.
Three different categories of problems emerged: those established/officially acted upon; alleged irregularities in particular examinations; and systemic administrative problems. Maharashtra has identified 203 pending cases of exam malpractice before 23 designated special courts, the oldest of which dates back to 2002.
The present agitation is split into three streams of demands — one asks that MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar be sacked; the second wants question papers to move from objective to descriptive, with more transparency in evaluation; the third wants the objective question paper system to be reinstated.
The crowds are swelling by the day, and political support from all Opposition parties including the Congress, sections within the BJP-led government and the CJP is pouring in. The state government has instituted a committee to look into the matter; its report is expected in December.
The police, meanwhile, have served notices on 68 protesters at three locations, saying the organisers had not obtained permission. The students, on their part, have threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands are not addressed.
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