Thackeray asks Maharashtra governor to delay MPSC mains

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has asked Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma to postpone the upcoming Maharashtra Public Service Commission State Service Main Examination. In a letter dated September 25, Thackeray said the examination should be deferred if the report of a State-appointed committee led by Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha remains pending.

He said the test should be held only after the panel’s recommendations had been appropriately implemented. Thackeray also requested age relaxation for candidates who could lose an attempt or become ineligible because of any postponement. The examination is scheduled to begin in October and will be conducted in a descriptive format.

The letter was Thackeray’s second intervention before the Governor on the issue this month. On September 11, he had sought the resignation of the MPSC chairman and secretary and called for a judicial inquiry into an alleged Drug Inspector examination paper leak. Thackeray said aspirants had approached him with concerns about the commission’s functioning and that distrust was growing.

The Maharashtra government formed the V. Radha-led committee earlier this month to recommend reforms amid concerns over alleged irregularities and paper leaks. The committee has received more than 20,000 representations from aspirants and other stakeholders.

Its work includes examining question-paper security and distribution, examination procedures, evaluation transparency and the process to follow when an examination is cancelled. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the alleged Drug Inspector paper leak. Four people, including two candidates and two alleged middlemen, were arrested on September 24, bringing the total arrests to 11.

The examination was held on March 22 for 154 posts.