The Maharashtra Public Service Commission has postponed three main examinations amid concerns over question paper security and the conduct of its exams, following protests by aspirants over an alleged paper leak.
The commission said the State Services Main Examination 2026, the Maharashtra Civil Engineering Services Main Examination 2026 and the Maharashtra Group-B (Non-Gazetted) Main Examination have been deferred.
The State Services Exam was scheduled to run from October 3 to November 1. A revised schedule will be announced separately, the MPSC said, according to PTI.
The decision follows protests by aspirants over an alleged question paper leak in the drug inspector exam and over how the commission conducts its examinations more broadly.
On September 9, students protested at Sanvidhan Chowk in Nagpur and demanded the resignation of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.
The commission said it had received representations from students, parents, student organisations and some elected representatives asking that the State Services Main Examination be postponed.
It has also decided to re-evaluate the answer sheets of the State Services Main Examination 2025, after several student groups objected to how they were assessed. The MPSC said this is likely to delay the exam process.
It is not yet clear whether the existing question papers will be cancelled and fresh ones prepared.
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The MPSC also referred to a high-level committee headed by senior bureaucrat V Radha, which is reviewing the existing examination system. The commission said the committee has held extensive discussions with candidates and other stakeholders and has studied best practices.
Aspirants had been pressing for a postponement so that any changes recommended by the review could be reflected in the exams. The commission has not said when the committee will submit its report.
The postponement affects candidates who had been preparing for the October schedule for months. State Services Exams are among the most sought-after competitive tests in Maharashtra, with candidates vying for posts in the state administration.
The MPSC has faced pressure over exam scheduling before. Last year it moved the State Services Preliminary Exam from September 28 to November 9 because of severe flooding across the state.
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