The 11-day protest by Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants in Pune, sparked by allegations of examination irregularities, culminated in chairman Vivek Bhimanwar going on leave and boosted the political standing of Opposition leaders Rohit Pawar of the NCP (SP) and Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam, who stood alongside the students throughout their agitation.
October 13, 2026: For 11 days, Pune’s Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants refused to give up. Beginning September 7, their agitation over alleged examination irregularities and cancelled papers grew into a sustained protest demanding accountability, including the removal of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.
Two Opposition leaders, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and Congress legislator Vishwajeet Kadam, stepped into the vacuum. They stayed with the aspirants, slept alongside them on the protest stage, coordinated essential support and kept the pressure on the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
Pawar emerged as the principal intermediary between the students and the government, carefully balancing pressure with negotiations. Kadam helped sustain the agitation by ensuring the protesters had the support they needed.
The 11-day struggle culminated in Bhimanwar going on leave, giving the students a significant development in their campaign, though not necessarily resolving every demand.
The agitation also elevated the political profiles of Pawar and Kadam, who positioned themselves as allies of young people fighting for fairness in competitive examinations.
Behind the protests lies a larger question: when students invest years preparing for public-service examinations, who answers when the system they trust is accused of failing them? For Maharashtra’s aspirants, this was about more than an examination. It was about merit, opportunity and the right to demand accountability.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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