Tukaram Mundhe, the FDA commissioner, was named secretary of a seven‑member committee tasked with redesigning the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s recruitment process. His appointment followed a surge of demonstrations at SM Joshi Bridge that have now entered their tenth day.
The panel will be chaired by former judge Dilip Bhosale, with IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, ex‑IAS Ganesh Patil and retired judge P D Naik among its members. It will weigh demands for greater transparency, a reshaped recruitment scheme, the resignation of chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, and the creation of 70,000 new posts over the next three years.
The unrest stems from a series of alleged irregularities in MPSC exams, including a tainted Drug Inspector recruitment test and questionable grading of descriptive papers. The commission has already cancelled the Drug Inspector exam and is re‑evaluating answer sheets from the 2025 State Services Main Examination.
In addition to Mundhe’s appointment, the government has transferred the incumbent MPSC secretary Mahendra Harpalkar and postponed several key exams, such as the 2026 State Services Main and Civil Engineering Main tests, leaving aspirants in limbo.
The committee will present its findings to the state assembly, and the government has pledged to consider the protesters’ calls for 70,000 new posts and the removal of Bhimanwar before finalizing reforms.