Mumbai, July 16 (IANS) In response to continuous demands from various student organisations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that the newly proposed Computer-Based Test (CBT) system for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) will not be implemented immediately. Instead, the transition to online examinations has been deferred to August 2027, giving both students and administrative bodies adequate time to prepare.

This buffer period will allow students adequate time to adapt and enable all administrative systems to enhance their preparedness. Until August 2027, MPSC examinations will continue to be conducted via the traditional offline (pen-and-paper) method.

The crucial decision was taken during a high-level review meeting chaired by CM Fadnavis at Mantralaya in Mumbai. The meeting was attended by MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, the State Chief Secretary, and senior officials from the General Administration Department (GAD).

The Chief Minister emphasised that while modernisation is necessary to curb malpractices and ensure rapid results, the transition between the two systems must be seamless. “A secure, transparent selection process has always been my firm insistence. In line with that, the examination system must be transparent, conducted on time, and results must be declared promptly,” he said during the meeting. “However, while undertaking these reforms, moving from one system to another must be smooth. Every system needs sufficient time for readiness,” he added.

Acknowledging the pressure faced by aspirants, the Chief Minister noted that implementing the changes in a phased manner — beginning only from August 2027 — will provide a much-needed buffer for the candidates to adapt. He advised the MPSC leadership to take further institutional steps based on these recommendations while simultaneously praising the Commission for its recent progressive initiatives.

The Chief Minister instructed the MPSC to take further institutional decisions based on these guidelines. He also took the opportunity to appreciate the Commission for its various recent progressive initiatives.

According to government sources, by freezing the immediate rollout, the state government has effectively granted a 13-month runway. This window will allow the MPSC to build robust, glitch-free digital infrastructure across all districts of Maharashtra and enable aspirants to mentally and strategically align with the upcoming digital shift.

The intervention by the Chief Minister comes on the heels of intense, widespread protests by student organisations and competitive exam aspirants, particularly in hubs like Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

In late June 2026, the MPSC announced a massive overhaul of its structural format. The Commission declared plans to move its preliminary exams — starting with the Group C Services Joint Preliminary Exam — to a digital, computer-based format (CBT). The commission’s objective was to eliminate paper leaks, bring transparency, and introduce a normalisation process to hold exams multiple times a year.

The sudden announcement sparked anxiety among aspirants. Student representatives highlighted several practical challenges, including infrastructure deficit and technical system trust.

The student organisations and various political parties said lack of adequate, standardised digital exam centres in rural areas will force rural students to travel to major cities. A vast majority of candidates coming from economically weaker sections or rural backgrounds are strictly trained in the OMR sheet (offline) format and lack practice with adaptive computer testing. They also raised serious concerns regarding server glitches, technical bugs, and the complexities of the newly proposed “normalisation” marking system.

Following aggressive representations from various student unions and meetings with state leaders, the government has decided to actively step in to prevent administrative chaos and protect student interests.

–IANS

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