MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar Sent on Compulsory Leave Amid Paper Leak Probe; Students Suspend Protest

October 12, 2026

Pune, Maharashtra: Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar has been sent on compulsory leave until the completion of an inquiry into the alleged paper leak case, following an 11-day protest by aspirants in Pune demanding his resignation. The protesting students have provisionally decided to suspend their agitation following the state government’s decision.

The development came during the agitation led by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar at S M Joshi Bridge in Pune, where aspirants had been demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities and other issues concerning the commission.

State Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale met the protesting aspirants and announced that cases registered against students in connection with the agitation would be withdrawn. He also assured them that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty in the MPSC paper leak case.

Speaking to ANI after meeting the aspirants, Bhosale said, “A positive stance regarding the MPSC has been established; the committee simply needed to make some technical adjustments. We have prepared those changes, and that is what is being submitted now.”

Bhimanwar opts for leave during judicial inquiry

Earlier, Bhimanwar said in a post on X that the state government had announced a judicial inquiry into the alleged MPSC paper leak. Explaining his decision to go on leave, he said he had always prioritised ethics and would remain away from the post until the inquiry was completed.

“The autonomy, credibility, and interests of the students of the MPSC have always been my priority, and they will continue to be so in the future,” he added.

The state government has also appointed senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as secretary of the committee constituted to inquire into the MPSC-related matter.

Although the aspirants had primarily demanded Bhimanwar’s resignation, the decision to keep him away from office during the inquiry has led to a temporary suspension of the protest. However, the demand for his resignation remained a key point of contention during discussions.

Complaints over Drug Inspector examination

The MPSC had initiated a preliminary inquiry following complaints of alleged malpractice in the screening examination conducted on March 22 for the Drug Inspector post.

The commission had issued an advertisement for the post on July 29, 2025. The screening examination was held offline on March 22 at six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra, and the results were declared on June 12.

Following the examination, 506 candidates were found eligible for interviews. Of these, interviews of 488 candidates were conducted between July 1 and July 22.

After the interviews, the commission published a provisional general merit list containing 488 candidates, including 485 eligible and three ineligible candidates for the post.

Between July 22 and July 26, the commission received complaints by email from candidates and public representatives alleging malpractice in the March 22 examination.

The complaints alleged that some candidates had received the question paper or questions before the examination, on March 20, and that the material was subsequently circulated through social media or other electronic media.

Following the alleged irregularities, the MPSC cancelled the entire recruitment process for the Drug Inspector post. The inquiry is expected to examine the allegations surrounding the examination and the issues raised by aspirants.