Overview
- Protests resumed and fractured into three simultaneous camps in Pune on Sunday with sit-ins at S M Joshi Bridge, Lal Bahadur Shastri Road near Ahilya Library, and Tilak/Alka Chowk, each pressing distinct demands about exam format and leadership.
- One group led by MLA Rohit Pawar is centrally demanding the resignation of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar and a full, impartial probe into alleged past irregularities.
- A second faction wants a return to the objective multiple-choice Main exam format while a third insists the descriptive format introduced in 2025 be retained to protect two years of candidate preparation.
- The state met aspirants on September 30 and offered partial concessions including transfer of MPSC secretary Mahendra Harpalkar, a promise of a judicial inquiry, continued offline exams and a plan for fresh recruitments including a re-run of the cancelled Drug Inspector test.
- Police have escalated enforcement by serving notices to about 100 people for unauthorised protests, and regional leaders from across parties have intervened to press for talks or bolster the agitation, raising the risk of wider political mobilisation.