At Pune’s MPSC protest, angry young aspirants say they have been betrayed by the state
· Scroll
As 23-year-old Sakshi Ejgar prepared hard in Pune for the prestigious Maharashtra Public Service Commission exams, she felt growing anger as she studied “good governance”, one of her main subjects. “We learn about transparency, objectivity, social justice and aspire to become officers who work by these values,” said Ejgar. “But we are not even being allowed to reach that far.”
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Since October 2, following a question paper leak in June and examination irregularities. thousands of state civil service aspirants have been joining a sit-in agitation near Pune’s SM Joshi bridge demanding justice. So far, 11 suspects have been arrested for leaking the paper for the drug inspector recruitment exam held in March.
Pune is a hub for thousands of aspirants like Ejgar, many of whom hail from farmer families in drought-prone parts of Maharashtra. They spend years studying for competitive exams in the hopes of landing a coveted government job. These students stay in small, rented accommodations and pay for access to study halls and libraries.
“We have to spend Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 a month on living expenses,” said Ejgar. “Every time an exam is postponed, we feel awful asking our parents for more financial support.” Ejgar unsuccessfully attempted the exam in 2025 and managed to clear the preliminary stage...