Tukaram Mundhe appointed Secretary of panel to overhaul MPSC; aspirants end agitation

MPSC aspirants late on Sunday (October 11, 2026) night ended their 10-day agitation after the Maharashtra Government formed a committee, with senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as Secretary, to probe alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in the recruitment body.

Subsequently, Maharashtra Public Service Commission Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar announced that he had proceeded on leave till the inquiry was completed.

A State government delegation led by Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale met the agitating aspirants and informed them that most of their demands, including the formation of an inquiry committee with officers such as Mr. Mundhe, had been accepted.

However, the aspirants, who had been protesting at S.M. Joshi Bridge in Pune for the last ten days, insisted that Mr. Bhimanwar’s removal was their primary demand. Their other demands include reforms in the MPSC.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had been protesting alongside the aspirants, proposed that as the process of resignation could take time, the government should keep Mr. Bhimanwar away from the chairman’s post until the inquiry was completed.

The proposal triggered confusion at the protest site, with differences emerging among the aspirants. While some agreed to the proposal, others refused to call off the agitation unless Mr. Bhimanwar was removed from the post.

Amid the uncertainty, it was decided that Mr. Bhosale would convey the demand to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He left the venue to discuss the matter with the CM. Bhosale returned after about 15 minutes and informed the protesters that the State government had agreed to their demand.