Maharashtra recruitment and examination reforms

The Maharashtra government has initiated a process to reform its competitive recruitment examination system following concerns over paper leaks and transparency. A high-level task force, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha, began conducting division-wide consultations with students, parents, and educators to address issues such as exam quality, timetables, and grievance redressal.

To enhance security, the task force announced that competitive exams will not be conducted online for the upcoming year, opting instead for an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet pattern under new standardized guidelines. Building on these reforms, the government is planning a significant increase in recruitment through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggesting that the number of available posts, particularly for Group C positions, could reach record levels.

As the reform process continues, the MPSC has postponed three major examinations originally scheduled to begin on October 3, 2026: the State Services Main Examination, the Maharashtra Civil Engineering Main Examination, and the Maharashtra Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Main Examination. No new dates have been announced. These postponements follow intense pressure from students and organizations demanding a review of security protocols, specifically citing previous allegations of paper leaks in a Drug Inspector examination. Some candidates have even called for question papers to be “prepared entirely from scratch” to ensure integrity.

Additionally, the MPSC will re-evaluate answer sheets from the 2025 State Services Main Examination due to objections regarding scoring and evaluation methods, causing further delays to that cycle. While some political figures have called for the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimwar, Bhimwar has denied responsibility, stating that alleged leaks occurred prior to his tenure.