Nagpur: Against the backdrop of repeated allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations, the state govt has invited aspirants and other stakeholders from Nagpur division to help identify vulnerabilities in the system and recommend reforms.A seven-member high-level committee headed by additional chief secretary (general administration department) V Radha will visit Nagpur on Sept 16 and interact with students, competitive examination aspirants, parents, teachers, coaching institutes, study centre operators, educational institutions and public representatives.The consultation assumes significance amid continuing unrest among aspirants over the credibility of govt recruitment examinations. Maharashtra Public Service Commission recently cancelled the recruitment process for Drug Inspector Group-B posts following a preliminary inquiry into alleged malpractices in the screening examination conducted in March.The committee was announced after a meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Aug 12 and formally constituted through a govt resolution on Sept 4. It has been tasked with reviewing the entire examination chain — from preparation and moderation of question papers to their distribution, conduct of examinations, evaluation and declaration of results.Ahead of the committee’s visit, a special cell will function at Nagpur district collectorate from 10 am on Sept 9 to 6 pm on Sept 15. Written submissions can be made at the personal branch of the resident deputy collector or emailed to nagpur-examreformstaskforce@maharashtra.gov.in.The committee will meet stakeholders at 11 am on Sept 16 at Niyojan Bhavan in Civil Lines.Officials said suggestions could cover biometric authentication, access control, CCTV surveillance and digital audit trails at examination centres. Inputs have also been sought on preventing impersonation, collusion, confidentiality breaches and the misuse of electronic devices, besides fixing accountability when irregularities occur.The panel will additionally examine minimum infrastructure and security standards for examination centres, coordination among district administrations, police, education departments and examination agencies, and the creation of a quick and transparent grievance-redressal mechanism for candidates.The consultation is part of the committee’s tour of all six revenue divisions. The state has also proposed creating 25,000 secure classrooms for examinations and adopting stricter provisions against paper leaks and organised malpractice.Divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari appealed to stakeholders across Nagpur division to participate and submit practical suggestions. The feedback collected locally will be forwarded to the committee and considered while preparing its final recommendations to the state govt.
