Maharashtra government should immediately engage with protesting Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants and address their concerns through dialogue, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday, as agitation over examination transparency and administrative reforms continued.
Pawar said there was a clear sense of unease among students in Pune, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra and stressed that communication between the state leadership and student representatives was necessary to resolve the deadlock.
Pawar asks CM Fadnavis to meet students
The veteran leader said some student representatives had met him and explained their concerns and demands. He said any steps taken to resolve the issue should be undertaken with the consent of the students.
"On one side there is the chief minister and his colleagues, and on the other are the student representatives. If there is no dialogue between them, the problem will not be solved. If the issue is to be resolved, there has to be meaningful communication," he said.
Pawar said he had spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the phone about the agitation and urged him to immediately look into the matter after returning to Mumbai from Nagpur and hold discussions with the protesting students.
"If required, if the student representatives are willing to engage in dialogue, I am also prepared to participate and contribute towards finding a solution," he said.
He added that the government should take the initiative to engage with the protesters and ensure their concerns are addressed.
"If the head of the state takes the initiative, we have a moral responsibility to participate in efforts to ensure that justice is done to the students and their problems are resolved," the NCP chief said.
Pawar said he had conveyed his views to both sides and would now await the Chief Minister's response and decision.
MPSC exam row and student demands
MPSC aspirants have been protesting over several demands, including the removal of the MPSC chairman and greater transparency in the conduct of examinations. The commission postponed the State Services Main Examination 2026, which was scheduled to begin on October 3.
The MPSC had said that a high-level committee reviewing the existing examination system had held extensive discussions with candidates and other stakeholders and studied best practices.
The commission also decided to re-evaluate answer sheets from the State Services Main Examination 2025 after objections were raised by students and student organisations. It separately deferred the Maharashtra Civil Engineering Main Examination 2026 and Maharashtra Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Main Examination 2026, with revised dates to be announced separately.
CM Fadnavis has already announced measures
Pawar's call for dialogue comes after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met a delegation of MPSC aspirants and announced measures addressing their concerns. The government assured students that a judicial inquiry would examine the functioning of former and current MPSC chairpersons and members, while MPSC examinations would continue to be conducted offline.
The government also announced the immediate transfer of MPSC Secretary Mahendra Harpalkar. His deputation was subsequently terminated, even as protests continued in Pune.
Following the meeting with Fadnavis, aspirants had temporarily suspended their proposed October 2 agitation. However, sections of students continued their protest in Pune, with demands including action against the MPSC chairman, greater transparency in examinations and filling more than 70,000 vacant government posts.
Rahul Gandhi backs continuing agitation
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also backed the MPSC aspirants' movement. On Saturday, he said the protesters' demands included the resignation of the MPSC chairman and immediate filling of more than 70,000 vacant government posts.
Gandhi said the movement had been registered as a "Satyagraha" and called for reforms and transparency in the examination system. He also said the Youth Congress and NSUI would continue to support the students and that he would raise their demands with the Maharashtra government.
Pawar, meanwhile, said the state government and institutions concerned must take note of the unrest and find a way forward by engaging directly with student representatives.