The Maharashtra Public Service Commission inquiry into alleged irregularities in nine examinations has begun seeking affidavits, statements and available evidence from candidates, but the exclusion of the State Services Main Examination 2025 has triggered fresh questions from students about the scope of the investigation.
The inquiry commission, headed by former Chief Justice Dilip Bhosale and comprising five members, was formed to examine allegations related to the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s examination process, including alleged question-paper and answer-key leaks and other complaints about the commission’s functioning. It has been given 60 days to submit its report.
In a public notice issued by inquiry commission member-secretary Tukaram Mundhe, people connected with the examinations listed for investigation were asked to submit their statements and available evidence along with affidavits by 16 November. The notice identifies nine examinations for scrutiny.
The examinations listed are the Group B Drug Inspector Examination 2025; the Maharashtra Group B Non-Gazetted Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2025; the Maharashtra Group B Non-Gazetted Services Combined Main Examination 2025; the Maharashtra Group C Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2025; the Maharashtra Group C Services Main Examination 2025; the Maharashtra Agricultural Services Main Examination 2024; the Food and Drug Administration Services Main Examination 2023; the Maharashtra Civil Engineering Services Main Examination 2025; and the Maharashtra Electrical Engineering Services Main Examination 2025.
Students quoted in the report said the State Services Main Examination 2025 should also be examined because they had already raised objections over the marking patterns in its results. They referred to wide variations in marks awarded to some candidates in essay papers and general studies papers, including instances of unexpectedly high or low scores and marks exceeding 100 in some papers. These claims concern the consistency of answer-sheet evaluation and the method used for awarding marks.
The students said that excluding the examination conducted for important state administrative posts while examining other Group B and Group C examinations was creating confusion. They sought an explanation from the commission on the reason for leaving the State Services Main Examination 2025 outside the inquiry’s terms.
Junaid Sheikh, a competitive examination candidate, described the inquiry into nine examinations as welcome but said the absence of the State Services Main Examination 2025 was surprising. Malhar Deshmukh said the exclusion could leave unresolved questions among candidates who had already developed concerns about the examination process. Another student, Dnyaneshwar Deshpande, called the exclusion contradictory and questioned why the State Services examination was not included if other recruitment examinations were being investigated.
The inquiry commission’s member-secretary was contacted for a response on the exclusion, but no response was received, according to the report. The immediate next step is the submission of affidavits, statements and supporting evidence by 16 November, after which the commission is expected to continue its examination of the listed examinations within its 60-day reporting period.
