MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government may restore the objective, multiple-choice format for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examinations, with the demand emerging as one of the key issues raised by students before a high-powered committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD) V. Radha.
The development comes amid protests over alleged paper leaks in recruitment examinations and demands for the filling of thousands of vacancies in the State government. The Radha Committee has been holding consultations with students and other stakeholders across Maharashtra, and the demand to revert to the objective format has consistently emerged during these meetings.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the government would implement the final recommendations of the Radha Committee. He also said a record number of MPSC vacancies would be announced in upcoming recruitment drives.
Speaking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting at Mantralaya, Mr. Fadnavis said the committee was touring the State to interact with candidates appearing for competitive examinations and other stakeholders and gather feedback on the examination system. “I have taken feedback from the committee. One of the major demands is to shift the examination format from descriptive back to an objective (multiple-choice) pattern,” he said.
The Chief Minister noted that the committee headed by retired IAS officer Chandrakant Dalvi had recommended shifting the MPSC main examination from the traditional objective format to a descriptive pattern. The government and the MPSC subsequently accepted the recommendation, which was implemented in 2025.
However, the demand to return to the objective format has resurfaced during the Radha Committee’s consultations with students. “As the government, our stand is that if the Radha Committee recommends a shift from the descriptive pattern back to the objective (multiple-choice) pattern, or makes any other recommendation, the government will be positive towards accepting it,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Mr. Fadnavis also praised the committee’s work, saying its members were examining the various issues raised by students before making their recommendations.
The Dalvi Committee had recommended the shift from the objective, multiple-choice format to a descriptive pattern for the MPSC main examination in 2023. The recommendation was subsequently implemented by the government in 2025.
A senior government official said the government could technically consider reverting to the objective format but cautioned against frequent changes in the examination pattern. “If we keep changing the pattern, it will hamper students’ preparation for the examinations. Therefore, the existing system will have to continue until it completes five years,” the official said.
The Radha Committee will also examine the Dalvi Committee’s report before recommending whether the MPSC should revert to the objective format. The committee is expected to examine the reasons behind the earlier decision to move from the objective pattern to the descriptive format, the official said.
The final decision on the examination pattern is expected to be taken after the Radha Committee submits its report.
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