MPSC paper leak: Bhimanwar on leave; Tukaram Mundhe to be secretary of committee for inquiry

Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar went on leave on Monday (October 12) amid an ongoing inquiry into an alleged government recruitment exam paper leak. PWD Minister Shivendraraje Bhosle announced that Tukaram Mundhe would serve as secretary of the committee probing the leak at the protest site in Pune on Sunday night.

MPSC aspirants, led by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam, staged a protest in Pune over alleged paper leaks in government recruitment exams. The protest continued for two weeks.

Mr. Bhimanwar said in a statement issued on on X, “The government of the state has announced an inquiry by a judge into the case of the leak of paper of MPSC I have always given priority to morality throughout my life. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period, rather than continuing to hold office, until completion of the inquiry.” He added, “Autonomy, credibility, and welfare of students of MPSC have always been a priority and will remain so in future. Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra!”

The committee will have two months to review the MPSC’s functioning and examination process, identify shortcomings and recommend reforms. It will be chaired by retired Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dilip Bhosale and include Justice P.D. Naik, administrative officer Tukaram Mundhe, retired secretary Ganesh Patil and Inspector General of Police Lakshmi Gautam.

The announcement was made after Minister of the Public Works Department (PWD) Shivendra Raje Bhosle visited the site of the protest and held a discussion with NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar and Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam.

Tukaram Mundhe, a senior IAS officer who currently serves as Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, will be the secretary of the inquiry committee. The panel will investigate alleged irregularities in MPSC examinations, including paper leaks, review the Commission’s functioning and recommend reforms to improve transparency and address shortcomings in the examination process.

The draft accepted by the government in response to students’ demands includes a probe into all examinations where paper leaks were reported, paving the way for investigations into alleged malpractices and related complaints. The government has also decided to withdraw cases filed against students during the protests.