Maharashtra to model MPSC on UPSC, fill 15,500 govt posts

MUMBAI: Facing heat over the suicide of a state civil service aspirant, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar told the state assembly on Tuesday that over 15,500 government posts would be filled through MPSC and the state commission will be overhauled on the lines of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Swapnil Lonkar, 24, had cleared the MPSC exam but was awaiting his interview for two years when he took the drastic step.
Pawar later told reporters that the government will not only fill all the vacant posts of members in the state commission but will expand it to at least 11 members from the current six. This will help them dispose of the backlog after the recruitment halt faster.
“We will fill 4,417 group A posts, 8,021 group B posts and 3,063 group C posts. This will be done after examining the reservations on the posts,” said Pawar.
He added that the government had held several meetings on how to expedite the MPSC recruitment process. The commission will be asked to develop an online platform for details on exams, consultations. Also, the government is considering reviewing the age limit for MPSC exams. “There is a need to re-look at the whole process and we will be sitting with the CM after the monsoon session. A final decision will be taken after that,” said Pawar.
On Monday, Pawar had said vacant posts on the MPSC panel would be filled by July 31. However, he had come under criticism from the Opposition, who said Pawar only talked about filling vacancies on the MPSC panel and not about providing jobs for aspirants.