‘Students, Not Anti-Nationals’: Bombay HC On Protests Over MPSC Exams

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday told the Maharashtra government to restore MPSC aspirants’ confidence in recruitment examinations, saying students had a right to protest suspected irregularities. The court also urged protesters in Pune to return to classes and stop blocking roads.

“They are students, not anti-nationals,” said the bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna. It directed the government to submit an affidavit within three weeks detailing nearly 70,000 vacancies, with department- and reservation-wise figures, Hindustan Times reported.

The bench was hearing a petition by Pune resident Amit Supekar seeking designated spaces for demonstrations and action against simultaneous public agitations that he described as “illegal”. Thousands of aspirants have been protesting at three locations in the city despite being denied police permission.

The agitation followed allegations of a paper leak in the MPSC drug inspector examination. Students, teachers, examination mentors and political leaders have joined the demonstrations, seeking greater transparency and accountability.

The court said the protests warranted attention, noting that students who come to Pune, an educational hub, primarily want to study and build careers.

“They are not interested in coming on the roads to agitate. ...if they are agitating, it means the grievances are serious. These students work hard for competitive examinations, and if they find any hanky-panky in the examination procedure, they have every right to protest.”

Appearing for the government, Advocate General Milind Sathe said the protesters wanted the MPSC chairman’s resignation, examination fees reduced to ₹100 and all examinations conducted offline. He told the bench that the state had accepted one demand, without specifying which, and had forwarded a representation seeking action against the chairman to the governor.

The bench stressed that examinations must be fair and impartial, while also drawing attention to the concerns of families supporting aspirants.

“See the plight of the parents who have sent their children to study in Pune. These children are innocent. All parents in the country are in crisis,” it said.

“No message should go across the country that it [Pune] is not a fit place for students, or the parents will also have their apprehension.”

Assuring students that it would examine the government’s handling of their concerns, the court said recruitment should proceed promptly and transparently.

“We will ensure the recruitment drive is taken care of. All the forthcoming processes should be fair,” the bench said.

However, it cautioned that a prolonged agitation could affect students’ careers. Those wishing to continue protesting should choose a suitable location and obtain permission, the court said, adding that authorities could act against demonstrations held without approval.

The Pune protests come amid wider agitation over recruitment examinations. In July, protests over examination irregularities led to then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. In Jharkhand, aspirants and student unions recently suspended a nearly month-long sit-in after the government accepted almost all their principal demands.