The case is challenging the appointments made for 17 posts, reserved for female candidates belonging to open category. (Representational)
Postings of 360 candidates who cleared the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams this year have got delayed further.
A legal case filed by a few candidates challenging the seat reservation for aspirants based on gender was underway at the High Court, Aurangabad. All legal hearings in the matter were completed on September 28 but the aspirants are now awaiting the final judgment.
“We will have to wait for the judgment, whatever it is. We do not know when the judgment will be issued,” said an aspirant.
The case is challenging the appointments made for 17 posts, reserved for female candidates belonging to open category. But after the results were declared in May this year, it was observed that all of the 17 vacancies were bagged by women candidates who belonged to the reserved categories. Some of these posts were meant for the office of deputy collector, tehsildar and others.
Candidates for the state cadre of civil services are selected through MPSC and allowed to represent under four categories – general, women, sportsmen or ex-servicemen. This year, womens’ appointments for 55 posts and 8 vacancies under sports category have been accepted, unchallenged.
Following this, the Maharashtra State government held up sanctioning postings and subsequent training, which was to commence in August this year. “We all have become a joke for neighbours and families, who think that we have not cracked the exam. Why should the real candidates, who had not challenged the results, suffer?” questioned another aspirant from Pune.
He had shifted his family from Beed after he cleared the tests. The financial crunch and stress due to the delay is also bothering the candidates. “I quit my job after the results were declared and it is over four months now. It is becoming difficult to support my family,” another candidate from Pune, who requested anonymity, said.
Before the final hearing, a group of candidates who were not part of the legal matter, had met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
One of them said: “But we were not given any assurance regarding the matter getting resolved in a time-bound matter.”