Bombay High Court asks Maharashtra to restore confidence of MPSC aspirants and students to return to classes

Exterior view of Bombay High Court. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) asked the Maharashtra government to take steps to restore the confidence of students protesting against the recruitment process run by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and asked them to return to their studies. Board Chairman Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna, hearing the petition on the inconvenience caused to citizens in Pune, said the matter was before the court and the state had to respond in writing.

The student protests blocked roads in Pune and caused inconvenience to citizens, the petition said. Students have sought changes in the MPSC exam and recruitment process.

The state told the court that the students had demands. The state said it had accepted the demand to fix the fee at ₹100 and the requirement to conduct the examinations in person. She sent a statement to the governor asking for the resignation of the MPSC chairman, the state said.

The court noted that vacancies in state positions had risen to thousands. The students alleged that the exams were not conducted as per the procedure and the documents were leaked. When the students protested, it meant their grievances needed attention, the court said. The students were in Pune to secure their education and not against the nation, the court said, adding that the state should take steps to restore trust.

The court asked the state to provide details of the recruitment process and vacancies in various departments in writing. She notified the state and asked it to submit an affidavit.

The court also urged the students to continue their studies. If they wanted to protest, they must apply for a permit and find a place that was not a road, it said. No inconvenience should be caused to citizens, it said. The matter was before it and it would warrant a response from the state, the court said as it examined how the state had dealt with the issue.

Recruitment should be done at a brisk pace, the court said. Students should be able to participate in exams. Parents who send their children to Pune faced apprehension, it said, adding that students’ careers should not be affected.

The state said the police showed restraint.

Advocate General Milind Sathe told the court that the First Information Report will affect the careers of the students.

The students are not against the nation, the court said, adding that the state should consider the position of the parents.

The court called for peace and said that the adverse news about Pune, the center of education, should spread across the country. asked the parties to keep the peace.

She asked students to join classes and ask for permission to protest without disturbing the citizens. The court adjourned the matter for a later date.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 22:19 IST