MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged malpractices in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams, and announced a committee to be set up under senior IAS officer V Radha to recommend comprehensive reforms in the exam system, which will include guidelines for interviews.
A separate paper leak incident involving the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug inspector (Group B) exam held in January, added grist to the protests. The new committee that will suggest comprehensive reforms will consult students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders across the state. Fadnavis added that similar reforms will also be undertaken in police recruitment, including a uniform marks pattern across districts, and deploy technology for physical exams.
In state-wide protests over the last few months, MPSC aspirants took to the streets to expose alleged malpractices in the evaluation of descriptive answer papers in the main examination and agriculture services exams, held between April and May 2026.
“We have nothing to hide. Instead, the state government wants to take corrective measures to ensure transparent and fair examinations. the government will initiate an SIT probe into the overall alleged examination malpractices While the crime branch is already conducting an investigation into the paper leak in drug inspector exam. “We also accept the demand of re-checking the answer sheets of the mains. The government will urge MPSC to provide answer sheets under the RTI Act.
After the meeting, the chief minister admitted to “loopholes in the examination system”. The procedure will be completed in eight days,” said Fadnavis. The crime branch’s preliminary report will also be made public,” he said, adding that a dedicated grievance redressal cell, headed by a retired judge, will also be established at MPSC.
