MPSC exams to be held in March 2021

In 2020, the Maharashtra government had delayed the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exam dates ahead, due to the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

However, the MPSC department has decided to conduct exams in March this year. The state service pre-examination will be held in the second week of March and the pre-engineering service examination will be held in the third week. Meanwhile, the Secondary Service Non-Gazetted Group B Joint Pre-Examination will be held in April this year.

Candidates who have been preparing for many years were waiting for these exams. As the number of cases is declining in the city and state, the candidates have been demanding that the MPSC exams should be held as soon as possible.

Moreover, the Chief Minister had made it clear that no student would be disqualified as the examination was postponed.

However, it has come to light that the real reason for this inordinate delay is the pending decision over reservations for the Maratha caste. The previous BJP-Shiv Sena state government’s decision to provide reservation to the Marathas under the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) category was stayed by the Supreme Court in September 2020.

Even as the case is being referred to a larger bench and the hearing is scheduled next on January 23, 2021, the state government on January 4 opened a new window for Maratha students to apply for the exam. Maratha students have been given an option to apply under the open or Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. The notification also doesn’t provide an option for changes to be made once the apex court delivers its verdict.