MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government Saturday formed a seven-member committee to review the recruitment examination system in the state and suggest measures to prevent paper leaks.
The committee will ensure that exams are made more transparent, secure, reliable and candidate-friendly. The review will cover the entire examination process, including question paper preparation and scrutiny, confidentiality and secure handling of papers, examination centre management and security, use of technology, prevention of malpractices, coordination among various agencies, grievance redressal and the overall examination experience of candidates, the government order said.
The panel will specifically examine processes related to question paper preparation, testing and moderation, creation of multiple question sets, printing or digital distribution, confidentiality, custody and transportation of question papers, exam conduct, recording of responses, evaluation and declaration of results. The experts committee will be headed by V Radha, additional secretary, general administrations.
The decision came at a meet chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis on August 12.
The formation of this committee stems from widespread candidate outrage, student protests, and severe public backlash triggered by repeated irregularities in government recruitment examinations across Maharashtra.
The immediate catalyst was the leak of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Group-B Drug Inspector exam question paper, where investigations revealed that question papers had reached certain individuals prior to the test, forcing the state to cancel the exam. This scandal, combined with earlier cheating controversies in state recruitment drives like the Talathi and health department exams, severely eroded candidate trust and sparked broad political pressure. The issue gained further traction amidst the nationwide outcry over paper leaks in major central examinations like NEET.
In response, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a key review meeting on August 12 to address these systemic vulnerabilities. Beyond instituting the V Radha-led expert committee, the government moved to adopt the Union Government's Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, which imposes strict penalties including up to 10 years of imprisonment for organized cheating syndicates. The state also initiated plans to construct 25,000 secure, tech-monitored classrooms across Maharashtra to ensure future recruitment exams are conducted under direct, tamper-proof administrative supervision.
