Aaditya Thackeray demands postponement of MPSC civil service network pending panel reform report

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. File | Photo credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Friday (September 25, 2026) wrote to Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma seeking a postponement of the upcoming MPSC civil service conduct until the reform panel submits its recommendations.

In his letter dated September 25, Mr. Thackeray said the inquiry should be postponed if the report of the state-appointed committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary V Radha remained pending and would be held only after its recommendations were properly implemented.

He also sought age relaxation for candidates who might lose the attempt or become ineligible due to the delay.

Friday’s letter (September 25) marks Mr Thackeray’s second intervention before the Governor on the MPSC issue this month. On September 11, he met Mr. Varma and asked for the resignation of MPSC chairman and secretary along with a judicial inquiry into the alleged drug inspector exam paper leak.

Thackeray cited what he described as growing mistrust among aspirants about the functioning of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), saying that several candidates had approached him with statements regarding the examination and the functioning of the commission.

The demand comes days before the civil services main exam begins in October. The MPSC has decided to conduct the exam in a descriptive format even as candidates have raised concerns about various aspects of the exam and recruitment system.

A committee headed by V Radha was constituted by the Maharashtra government earlier this month to recommend reforms to the MPSC examination and recruitment process amid concerns over alleged irregularities and paper leaks.

The panel has since received more than 20,000 submissions from bidders and other stakeholders. Issues considered include security and distribution of questions, examination procedures, transparency of assessments and protocols to be followed in cases where examinations are cancelled.

The latest demand also comes as the Mumbai Crime Branch continues its probe into the alleged leak of the MPSC Drug Inspector (Group-B) investigation document.

Four more people, including two candidates and two alleged brokers, were arrested on September 24, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 11.

The Drug Inspector exam was held on March 22 for 154 posts under the State Food and Drug Administration. Investigators alleged that the confidential questions were illegally obtained and disseminated for financial gain.

Published – 26 Sep 2026 05:46 IST