Pune: Senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe has been appointed secretary of a Maharashtra government committee tasked with investigating alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), including examination paper leaks.
The appointment came as the state government moved to address demands raised by MPSC aspirants, who ended their 10-day agitation in Pune late Sunday night after receiving assurances on recruitment reforms and the functioning of the commission.
MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar also announced that he would go on leave until the inquiry was completed, following demands from protesters that he be removed from his position.
According to PTI, Maharashtra minister Shivendraraje Bhosale conveyed the government's decision to the aspirants gathered at S M Joshi Bridge, where the agitation had been underway for 10 days.
The Maharashtra government has constituted a committee headed by former judge Dilip Bhosale, with Mundhe serving as its secretary.
The panel also includes IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik.
The committee will investigate allegations concerning recruitment examinations and examine issues raised by aspirants seeking reforms in the MPSC.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who participated in the agitation, welcomed Mundhe's inclusion in the committee.
"We hope the committee will have the freedom to work properly," Pawar said.
Despite the announcement of the inquiry committee, the protesters initially refused to withdraw their agitation, insisting that MPSC chairman Bhimanwar should be removed.
Pawar proposed that Bhimanwar be kept away from his official responsibilities until the inquiry was completed, considering that a formal resignation could take time.
The suggestion led to differences among the protesters, with some agreeing to the arrangement while others continued to demand his removal.
Minister Bhosale subsequently left the protest venue to consult Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He returned around 15 minutes later and informed the aspirants that the government had agreed to their demand.
Following the assurance, Vivekanand Patil, a representative of the protesting aspirants, announced that the agitation had been called off for the time being.
Bhimanwar subsequently confirmed his decision to proceed on leave in a post on X.
"The state government has announced a judicial inquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed," he said.
His decision means he will remain away from the chairman's responsibilities during the inquiry, although no formal resignation has been announced.
The government also assured aspirants that several other demands would be addressed.
These include recruitment to 70,000 government posts over three years, an increase in vacancies for the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the MPSC chairman and secretary before their appointment.
The protesters also demanded the withdrawal of police cases registered against representatives of the agitation.
Pune Police had earlier registered a case against 15 protest representatives for allegedly organising the demonstration without permission, obstructing traffic and violating prohibitory orders.
Five others were separately booked for allegedly flying a drone at the protest site.
Pawar had visited Vishrambaug police station following the registration of the cases and demanded that an FIR also be registered against him.
Claiming that nearly 25 lakh students were directly or indirectly affected by the recruitment issues, Pawar urged the government to prioritise the concerns raised by aspirants.
With the protest now suspended, attention turns to the committee involving Mundhe and the government's response to the proposed recruitment reforms.
(With inputs from PTI)