By team abhyaspeeth 
Special Correspondent
Pune: Students protesting against the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) took their demands directly to senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Saturday. The meeting took place at his office in Modi Baug, Pune, following a night-long demonstration by the aspirants.
During the half-hour discussion, Sharad Pawar listened to the students’ grievances regarding the irregularities in the results of the MPSC State Services Preliminary Examination and the lack of transparency in the selection process. The students expressed frustration over not being shortlisted despite scoring above the cutoff marks.
Taking immediate action, Pawar called MPSC Chairman Rajnish Sheth in the presence of the students and discussed their concerns. Acting on Pawar’s intervention, Sheth assured the students that their issues would be addressed and agreed to meet them in person.
This direct line of communication between the students and the Commission is expected to pave the way for a positive resolution to the ongoing protest.
The students also raised concerns about the Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment. Initially, the Maharashtra government had sent a requisition for 441 PSI posts. However, due to the upcoming state elections, the recruitment process was delayed, and the requisition was returned. In October 2024, the MPSC released a notification for only 216 PSI posts, leaving aspirants questioning why 225 posts were reduced.
The protesting students have demanded that the examination be postponed and the number of PSI posts be increased, calling for fairness and accountability in the recruitment process.