Many job-seekers, preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission preliminary exam, have been protesting since Tuesday night, demanding a different date as it clashes with a banking exam on the same day
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The Maharashtra Civil Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2024, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday, August 25, has been postponed. The new exam date will be announced soon, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission's official handle tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
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Many aspirants had been protesting since Tuesday night demanding that the exam be changed to a different date as it clashes with a banking test on the same day.
The aspirants found support from the opposition parties with the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also stating that the government fulfill the demands made by the jobseekers.
Following the protests, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission on Wednesday stated that it will hold a meeting on Thursday at 10 am. Following the meeting, it was decided that the exam will be postponed.
"As the MPSC exam scheduled for August 25 overlaps with the Indian Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) exam for clerical positions, it should be postponed because many students have applied for both. It would not be possible for them to appear for both the exams in a single day," said a protesting candidate.
An hour before the Maharashtra Public Service Commission announced that the exam has been delayed, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray took to social media X around 11 am and questioned the state over "ignoring the demands of the aspirants. "Why is the government not serious about the students' agitation going on in Maharashtra? Why do students have to protest every time for such basic questions? Why are their demands ignored? And why is MPSC not revising their process even after realizing the root cause? Is it laxity or arrogance of the regime," Thackeray wrote in Marathi.
महाराष्ट्रात सुरु असलेल्या विद्यार्थ्यांच्या आंदोलनाबाबत सरकार गंभीर का नाहीये? अशा मूलभूत प्रश्नांसाठी विद्यार्थ्यांना प्रत्येक वेळी आंदोलनं का करावी लागतात? का त्यांच्या मागण्यांकडे दुर्लक्ष केलं जातं? आणि मूळ मुद्दा लक्षात आल्यानंतरही MPSC त्यांच्या प्रक्रियेत दुरुस्ती का करत…
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 22, 2024
On Wednesday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had said also warned that he would join the protest in Pune with the aspirants if the government failed to clarify its stand on the issue.
"It is the responsibility of the state government to consider the interests of students taking the MPSC exam. However, it seems that the rulers are not taking it seriously. By tomorrow [Thursday], if the government does not clarify its stand, I will go to the agitation venue and take part in the agitation to ensure justice for the candidates, the NCP (SP) chief had tweeted in Marathi late on Wednesday night.
पुण्यात एमपीएससीच्या विद्यार्थ्यांनी पुकारलेल्या आंदोलनासंदर्भात विद्यार्थ्यांच्या हिताचा विचार करणं सरकारचं कर्तव्य आहे. परंतु सत्ताधारी याला गांभीर्याने घेताना दिसत नाहीत. उद्यापर्यंत यावर सरकारने योग्य भूमिका स्पष्ट केली नाही तर पुण्याच्या आंदोलनस्थळी मी स्वतः आंदोलनात सहभागी…
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) August 21, 2024
His grandnephew and NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar joined the agitation with the protesting candidates.
Apart from postponing the exam, the protesters also wanted the government to conduct the selection for 258 posts from the agricultural department through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam.
(With PTI inputs)
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