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9 clusters · 34 sources · 47 days · First seen · Last updated

MPSC Drug Inspector recruitment paper leak scandal

Overview

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment process for 154 Drug Inspector positions was cancelled following a major paper leak scandal involving the March 22 screening exam. Initial investigations by the Mumbai Crime Branch led to the arrest of 11 individuals, including three MPSC officials—Assistant Section Officers Vishweshwar Dattatraya Nakate and Gopal Bhattu Marathe, and Under Secretary Abhijit Ganpatrao Lendwe—as well as candidates and middlemen.

In response to the scandal, student-led protests intensified across Maharashtra, particularly in Pune and Nagpur. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of MPSC Chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar, a complete overhaul of the commission’s executive body, and the filling of over 70,000 vacant posts. To address the crisis, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recommended a high-level judicial inquiry, and MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar was relieved of his duties.

By October 2026, protests in Pune reached their eleventh day. The agitation concluded following government intervention and the formation of a high-level inquiry committee. Chaired by retired Bombay High Court judge Dilip Bhosale, the five-member panel includes IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil, and retired judge P. D. Naik, with senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe serving as secretary. The committee is tasked with investigating the allegations and suggesting reforms within 60 days.

As part of the resolution, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar announced a leave of absence until the investigation is complete to “prioritize ethics during the probe.” Protesters agreed to end the demonstration after the government promised to withdraw cases against demonstrators and committed to ensuring a transparent recruitment process for 70,000 vacancies over the next three years.

Entities

Maharashtra Public Service Commission · Devendra Fadnavis · Pune · Maharashtra · Food and Drug Administration

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

  • "The government has appointed senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as the secretary of the inquiry committee."

    vs

    "The inquiry committee will be headed by former judge Dilip Bhosale."

    One claim states the inquiry committee secretary is Tukaram Mundhe, while the other states it is headed by Dilip Bhosale, which creates ambiguity regarding the leadership structure or identity of the'

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 21 sources
    MPSC aspirants end protest as Maharashtra forms inquiry panel into paper leaks

    MPSC aspirants in Pune ended an 11-day protest after the Maharashtra government formed an inquiry panel to probe alleged paper leaks and appointed IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as its secretary.

  2. [POLITICS] 4 sources
    MPSC aspirants protest in Pune over exam irregularities

    MPSC aspirants in Pune continue protests over alleged paper leaks and exam delays. Raj Thackeray reported positive discussions with the Chief Minister regarding the students' employment demands.

  3. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Maharashtra CM Fadnavis addresses MPSC leak and school meal policy

    Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis seeks a judicial probe into MPSC paper leak allegations and directs the creation of a joint policy to improve nutritious school meal delivery for students.

  4. [POLITICS] 6 sources
    MPSC aspirants protest in Maharashtra over alleged paper leaks

    MPSC aspirants in Maharashtra are protesting against alleged paper leaks and irregularities, demanding the resignation of the commission's chairperson and reforms to the examination process.

  5. [CRIME] 3 sources
    MPSC Drug Inspector exam paper leak: 11 people arrested

    The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four more people, including two candidates, in the MPSC Drug Inspector exam paper leak case, raising the total number of arrests to 11.

  6. [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Maharashtra government announces SIT probe into MPSC paper leak allegations

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an SIT probe and exam rechecking following alleged MPSC paper leaks, including the Drug Inspector examination, to ensure recruitment transparency.

  7. [CRIME] 5 sources
    MPSC drug inspector exam leak investigation uncovers 270-page WhatsApp chat

    Crime Branch investigators recovered 270 pages of WhatsApp chats revealing a 91-question leak and a 5 lakh rupee deal in the MPSC drug inspector exam fraud case.

  8. [CRIME] 6 sources
    Mumbai Police arrest MPSC Drug Inspector exam ranker in paper leak case

    Mumbai Police arrested seventh-ranked candidate Rutuja Patil for her involvement in the MPSC Drug Inspector exam paper leak. The MPSC has cancelled the entire recruitment process for the FDA posts.

  9. [CRIME] 15 sources
    MPSC cancels Drug Inspector recruitment following paper leak arrests

    The MPSC has cancelled the Drug Inspector recruitment process after a paper leak scandal led to the arrest of six people, including three commission officials and a mastermind teacher.

Sources

aajtak.com · bhaskarlive.in · cinema.vikatan.com · deccanchronicle.com · desitalkchicago.com · devdiscourse.com · dtnext.in · edexlive.com · enavabharat.com · english.publictv.in · esakal.com · hindi.news18.com · hindikhabar.com · justicenews.co.in · kalingatv.com · khabarindiatv.com · latestly.com · mangalorean.com · nationalheraldindia.com · navbharatlive.com · newindianexpress.com · news18.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · odishabytes.com · pudhari.news · samacharnama.com · socialnews.xyz · tennews.in · thebluegrassspecial.com · thecsrjournal.in · thenews21.com · theshillongtimes.com · timesnownews.com · tv9hindi.com

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history