Pune: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday assured MPSC candidates that govt would implement a series of measures to address their long-standing concerns, including a judicial inquiry into the functioning of former and current MPSC chairpersons and members, continuation of offline examinations, and recruitment reforms.The development followed the CM’s meeting with a delegation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants, who suspended their planned Oct 2 agitation after receiving assurances from govt.Meeting participants said govt also agreed to immediately transfer MPSC secretary Mahendra Harpalkar, a key demand raised by protesting aspirants. On the contentious issue of examination patterns, govt assured the delegation that MPSC examinations would continue to be conducted offline. “No changes to the examination mode would be introduced without consultations with the aspirants and other stakeholders,” the Chief Minister’s Office said.Govt said the judicial inquiry would be completed within three months, after which further action would be taken based on its findings. The CMO said neither state govt nor the governor had the authority to remove an MPSC chairperson, as the post is constitutional. “Under Article 317 of Constitution, only the President can remove a chairperson or member on the recommendation of Supreme Court. Govt, therefore, decided to initiate a judicial inquiry into the conduct and functioning of former and incumbent MPSC office bearers,” the CMO said.The meeting also resulted in a slew of recruitment-related assurances. Govt accepted the demand for a substantial increase in vacancies for the Group C examination scheduled for Jan 3, indicating that the number of posts could be raised two to three times from current levels.Fadnavis acknowledged systemic issues in govt recruitment, saying around 30,000 to 40,000 promotions remained pending across departments and that recruitment rules in several sectors had not been revised since the 1960s. These shortcomings, he said, had hindered departments from filling sanctioned vacancies in full.Govt sources said recruitment rules for nearly 60% of departments had already been updated, while work on the remaining departments was under way.A key reform under consideration is the introduction of a single-card system, which would allow candidates to appear for multiple govt examinations without repeatedly submitting the same documents. The proposed integrated digital framework would eliminate duplication of paperwork and reduce the burden on applicants.Govt also announced plans to undertake recruitment planning in three-year cycles. Vacancies arising due to retirements would be identified in advance, with recruitment processes initiated at least a year before posts fall vacant. A comprehensive recruitment roadmap is expected to be finalised within a month.Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress media department president Akshay Jain said issues concerning students should remain above political considerations. “Today’s assurances must be implemented within the stipulated timeline and in a transparent manner. There can be no compromise on matters affecting students’ futures,” he said.The delegation included Akshay Kamble, Pramod Patil, Akshay Jain, Rahul Dambale, Bhausaheb Ajbe, Sangram Narale, Kiran Jagtap, Somnath Chavan, Priyanka Chaudhary, Sahebrao Kshirsagar, Pravin Patil, Siddhant Jambhulkar, Hrishikesh Gangurde, Aniket Patil, Ajit Kakade, Renuka Patil and Prasad Chavan.
