Journalism of Courage
Career, marriage, finances: How Maharashtra exam date change disrupted lives
The commission cancelled and postponed the exam to January, citing the Assembly’s Winter Session, festivals, and the State Services Mains examination.
Thousands of Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants took part in a massive protest march in Pune on Monday, Spetember 7, demanding greater transparency, systemic reforms and accountability over recurring examination irregularities and paper leaks. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
Avinash Kangane is 26. He knows the clock is ticking and he must start working. He promised his parents that he would take up a job after the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Group C job exams. The postponement of the preliminary exam, from October 25 to January 3, has thrown his plans into disarray.
“The Mains exam was scheduled for December 27, but after this latest postponement, there is no clarity on when it will now be held,” he said.
For Madhuri Netake, another aspirant, gender makes the challenge steeper. “Several women aspirants come to Pune to prepare for MPSC exams. They are under family pressure to marry by a certain age. They give themselves a fixed number of years to clear the exam. Repeated postponements eat into that limited window and often force these women to return home without having achieved their goal,” she said.
The protest march, held on Monday, September 7, started from Omkareshwer bridge and concluded at Collector office. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
Avinash and Madhuri are among over the 12 lakh candidates who applied for 5,707 Group C posts and were to take MPSC’s Combined Preliminary Examination 2026 on October 25. The commission cancelled and postponed the exam to January, citing the Assembly’s Winter Session, festivals, and the State Services Mains examination.
The aspirants, however, are anxious and frustrated, with many saying the uncertainty was disrupting their finances and personal lives.
The 5,707 vacancies the exam aims to fill are for posts of Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector, talathi, industrial inspector, tax assistant, clerk-typist, and technical assistant. The average salary for these jobs is in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per month.
MPSC aspirants are anxious and frustrated, with many saying the uncertainty is disrupting their finances and personal lives. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
This is not the first postponement. The recruitment advertisement was issued on June 25, and the preliminary exam was scheduled for September 27. It was then deferred to October 25, and has now been moved to January 3, a shift that aspirants say extends the preparation timeline by five months.
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Dipak Dhangar, 27, is from Dhule and is now based in Pune. He left his IT job in July to prepare full-time to crack an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector job. Recently married, he said the latest postponement came as a shock, since he cannot afford to remain without an income for another six months. Dhangar pointed to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), saying it largely adheres to its exam calendar. He said MPSC’s frequent rescheduling wastes years of candidates’ lives.
A 28-year-old aspirant from Parbhani, who did not want to be named, spoke about the mounting financial pressure. He said he needs about Rs 10,000 a month to cover food, accommodation, and other expenses in Pune, and that a further delay could add another Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 to his costs – an amount his parents are in no position to bear.
He said he has managed so far only because he receives the SARTHI scholarship, but noted that fellow aspirants without such support have started returning to their villages.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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