Thousands of students protest MPSC paper leak at Nagpur's Samvidhan Chowk

Thousands of competitive exam aspirants from across Vidarbha gathered at Nagpur's historic Samvidhan Chowk on Wednesday, demanding their rights, their future and transparency in the examination system. Slogans were raised against the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and the state government as students made a show of their strength.

The protest, held under the banner of the Vidarbha Sparadha Pariksha Samanvay Samiti, drew students from districts including Nagpur, Amravati, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Wardha and Bhandara. The four-hour demonstration, which ran from 10 am to 2 pm, put pressure on the district administration.

Students said that after years of hard work, financial strain and preparation away from their families, reports of paper leaks shattered their trust completely. Carrying this anger, students from every corner of Vidarbha gathered at Samvidhan Chowk to protest against the functioning of the MPSC.

The protest followed a recent paper leak in the recruitment for the post of drug inspector, in which an under secretary and an assistant room officer of the MPSC itself were arrested. This incident further fuelled the anger of Vidarbha's students. Protesting students said papers for 7 major examinations have been leaked in the last 8 years, which they said showed this was not the failing of one department but a failure of the entire system. Students said the MPSC's credibility had now collapsed and demanded the appointment of transparent and competent officers to the commission, along with strict action against all those responsible, including the current chairman and secretary, and their removal from their posts.

The protest drew strong support from across the city. Between 60 and 70 coaching centres in Nagpur that prepare students for competitive examinations remained completely shut on Wednesday. Coaching centre operators, teachers and mentors stood shoulder to shoulder with the students at Samvidhan Chowk.

The protest also carried a distinct flavour of Vidarbha's local dialect and idiom. Students used placards bearing words such as Marbat, Badge, Jhamal Jhamal, Tari Pohe and Bhaitad, terms typical of Nagpur and Vidarbha, to take sharp jibes at the MPSC. This distinctive style drew attention to the demonstration.

At the end of the protest, a delegation from the coordination committee, comprising Atul Khobragade, Abhilash Varade, Sanjay Randive, Shailesh Tumde, Khemraj Chamoshikar, Sanghpal Nikose, Pranay Satkar and Aniket Mate, met Nagpur District Collector Kumar Ashirwad and submitted a memorandum of their demands. Students warned that if the examination system is not reformed immediately and strict action is not taken against those responsible, the protest that began in Vidarbha will spread across Maharashtra in a more intense form.