Maharashtra govt considering increase in MPSC posts, positive to objective exam pattern: Fadnavis

Mumbai, Sep 22 (PTI) The Maharashtra government is considering a substantial increase in the number of posts available through the state Public Service Commission (MPSC), which will "break previous records", Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Tuesday.

The government will also positively consider reverting to an objective examination pattern if such a recommendation is made by a high-powered committee on MPSC reforms, he said.

"The government would consider the recommendations of a high-powered committee and would be positive about reverting to an objective examination pattern if the panel recommended it," Fadnavis told reporters after attending a state cabinet meeting.

Fadnavis said the government is working to increase the number of posts available through the MPSC, particularly in Group C.

He said presentations by five departments on vacant posts were made at the cabinet meeting.

"I am confident that for the next examination, we will bring in such a large number of posts that all previous records will be broken. We have taken a decision that, for the first time, we will bring several times more posts to the MPSC than ever before," Fadnavis added.

He also said the government was examining whether vacant posts in local self-government institutions could be filled through a separate mechanism.

On MPSC reforms, he said a high-powered committee has been holding detailed hearings with students and other stakeholders.

“It received a strong demand for restoring the objective pattern for various examinations, including State Services, Agriculture, FSO and Engineering services.

"The hearings are going on very well. The committee is patiently and calmly listening to everyone who comes before it, sometimes for six to eight hours," he said, adding that a direct dialogue is being held with students and stakeholders connected with competitive examinations.

On the demand to restore the objective pattern in MPSC exams, he said the Dalvi Committee had earlier recommended shifting from the objective pattern to the descriptive one, following which the government and MPSC had decided to implement the change.

"But after that decision, the demand to return to the objective pattern is now being raised very strongly in almost all the hearings, particularly by student representatives.

"If the committee recommends that we should move from the descriptive pattern back to the objective pattern, or suggests any other changes, the government will be positive about accepting them," Fadnavis said, adding that the government will wait for the high-power committee's report.

He said the government is also considering whether a separate arrangement can be made to fill vacant posts in local self-government institutions, either through the MPSC or another system.

"We will discuss this with the committee. I believe the committee is doing excellent work on MPSC-related issues. After its report is received, we will take the final decision," he said.

The government had formed the Examination Reform Committee to recommend measures to improve MPSC's functioning.

Its chairperson V. Radha on Monday said the panel had received more than 20,000 emails, with suggestions ranging from maintaining transparency in checking papers to a fixed calendar of exams and results.

The committee will consider standard operating procedures (SOPs) for question-paper distribution and conduct of competitive exams, as well as clear norms for the normalisation of marks. The panel would also examine the procedure to be followed if an examination has to be cancelled, along with measures to protect the interests of candidates who have already been selected, she said.