What happened
Since 2 October 2026, aspirants have occupied S.M. Joshi Bridge in Pune demanding chairman Vivek Bhimanwar's resignation after a leaked drug-inspector exam paper; on 7 October the state told the Bombay High Court it had accepted three of four demands.
Why it matters
With roughly 6,500 posts due in the January 2027 cycle, aspirants say only written notifications and real accountability will restore trust in the commission.
Remember this
The protest is no longer about one exam - it is about trust in Maharashtra's recruitment system.
What happens next
The next MPSC cycle is due in January 2027 for about 6,500 posts. The state has sent the governor a recommendation on chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, whose removal as a bureaucrat must run through Article 317 rather than a simple resignation.
More context & who is affected
The sit-in at Pune's S.M. Joshi Bridge is eight days old and shows no sign of ending. Its trigger was a leaked question paper in the March drug-inspector exam for 154 posts; the recruitment was cancelled on 26 August.
Aspirants want chairman Vivek Bhimanwar to resign, a mega recruitment drive, a Rs 100 fee cap and offline exams. On 7 October the state told the Bombay High Court it had accepted three of four demands, but protesters want written notifications.
Pune aspirants say they spend Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 a month preparing. Sayali Kengale, 28, describes "a complete collapse of the system"; with about 6,500 posts due in January 2027, trust is the real demand.
- Days of protest
- 8+ The sit-in began 2 Oct 2026 at S.M. Joshi Bridge, Pune; day 8 was 9 October.ScrollThe Wire
- Drug inspector posts affected
- 154 The leaked March 2026 exam targeted 154 drug inspector posts; about 44,500 candidates appeared.The Wire
- Monthly cost in Pune
- Rs 10,000-20,000 Pune aspirants report spending this each month on rent, mess and study halls.ScrollThe Wire
- Next exam cycle
- ~6,500 posts The next MPSC cycle is scheduled for January 2027 to fill about 6,500 posts.Scroll
Government Job Aspirants
Aspirants say a leaked paper and slow accountability put years of preparation and a shot at a stable public job at risk.
Students
Pune aspirants report spending Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 a month on rent, mess and study halls while recruitment cycles stall.
Maharashtra Civic Readers
Police cancelled protest permission and an FIR names 15 protesters, raising the personal cost of joining the demonstration.
Story updates 2
Key developments (2)
Follow-up events appended to this developing story
-
Mundhe named MPSC reform committee secretary as Pune sit-in enters day 10
Former judge Dilip Bhosale heads a 5-member MPSC overhaul committee; Mundhe as secretary; govt pledges to address case withdrawals and 70,000-post demand.
Source: The New Indian Express -
Mundhe named MPSC probe secretary as 10-day Pune sit-in ends
Mundhe named MPSC probe secretary; Bhimanwar on leave; 10-day Pune sit-in ends after government concedes key demands.
Source: NDTV
Reporting fromScroll ↗The Wire ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- ScrollReporting
At Pune's MPSC protest, angry young aspirants say they have been betrayed by the state ↗
Published Oct 10, 2026 · Accessed Oct 11, 2026 - The WireReportingPublished Oct 10, 2026 · Accessed Oct 11, 2026
Claims and linked sources
The sit-in began on 2 October 2026 at S.M. Joshi Bridge in Pune and had reached its eighth day by 9 October.
The four demands are chairman Vivek Bhimanwar's resignation, a mega recruitment drive, a Rs 100 exam-fee cap and offline exams.
On 7 October 2026 the state told the Bombay High Court it had accepted three of the four demands, but protesters dismissed the oral submissions without written notifications.
The March 2026 drug-inspector exam for 154 posts drew about 44,500 candidates, and the recruitment was cancelled on 26 August 2026.
