Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday that the state will soon introduce a new law to prevent MPSC paper leaks and promised strict action against anyone found involved, including officials or outsiders holding senior positions. The announcement came during a meeting with a delegation of competitive-examination teachers, students and representatives of the student movement amid concerns over the credibility of state recruitment examinations.
Mumbai | September 7, 2026
The delegation, which included competitive-examination teachers Sachin Dhalve, Yashwant Solat, Dhananjay Mate, Ganesh Kad and Umesh Kudale, along with student movement activist Nikhil Patil, met Fadnavis to seek reforms in the examination system and tougher action in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission paper-leak case. The meeting was held as students and teachers raised concerns about examination procedures and the impact of irregularities on candidates preparing for government recruitment.
Fadnavis said the government would act against every person whose involvement in the paper-leak case is established, whether the person was from outside the commission or associated with it. He said the position held by an accused would not prevent strict action. The chief minister also said that the government was working to develop a transparent system for competitive examinations conducted by the commission.
According to the statement reported by Loksatta, the state government has formed a high-level committee under the chairpersonship of the additional chief secretary of the General Administration Department to examine how the examination process can be strengthened. The committee includes former members of the Union Public Service Commission, the director general of police, professors from the Indian Institutes of Technology and other officials.
The committee is expected to consult students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders across departments and regions of Maharashtra. Pune is also scheduled to be included in the consultation process. The government has said that reforms will cover the process from question-paper preparation to the conduct of examinations, with the stated aim of preventing similar incidents in the future.
The chief minister also referred to the question-paper leak case involving an examination for drug inspectors. The government has taken serious note of that case, while police are conducting an investigation and arrests have been made, according to the report. Further investigation is continuing, and action is expected against anyone from within or outside the commission whose involvement is established.
The announcement followed political criticism of the state government. Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Mahayuti government of taking control of a constitutional institution such as the MPSC and damaging its credibility. In comments cited by Loksatta, Gandhi linked the paper-leak issue with delayed recruitment, inadequate hostel conditions and other concerns raised by students in Maharashtra.
Gandhi has also said that thousands of students have been protesting across the state and that the issue extends beyond the cancellation of an examination or recruitment process. The allegations about institutional control remain political claims and were not independently established in the supplied report.
Fadnavis said the government’s reforms would be designed to protect students who prepare honestly for competitive examinations and to restore confidence in the examination system. The high-level committee’s consultations and the proposed legislation are the next stated steps in the government’s response.
