Maharashtra Drug Inspector Exam under scanner after MLA Rohit Pawar's paper leak claim

The MPSC has ordered an inquiry after Rohit Pawar alleged a leak and irregularities in the Drug Inspector recruitment exam. The row widened after the complainant withdrew the claim, but the Commission said police would still investigate.The controversy has triggered political reactionsThe Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has ordered an investigation into allegations of a question paper leak in the Drug Inspector recruitment examination after Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar accused the Commission of serious irregularities in the selection process.Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Pawar alleged that the question paper for the March 22, 2026 examination was leaked two days before the test through a coaching institute in Nandurbar. He claimed a candidate received the paper on a mobile phone on March 20 and later forwarded the PDF to a friend. According to him, screenshots of conversations between the two surfaced on social media after the examination, prompting allegations of a paper leak.Pawar also alleged that children of government officials secured high ranks in the examination, while some candidates with marks below the cut-off were shortlisted for interviews. The recruitment drive attracted around 44,500 applicants, with 150 candidates ultimately set to be selected after interviews.The NCP (SP) leader claimed that a formal complaint was submitted to the MPSC on July 21, but alleged that the Commission failed to respond promptly. He demanded an immediate probe by the MPSC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), registration of an FIR against those found guilty, a forensic examination of the viral screenshots, retrieval of call records and WhatsApp chats of the accused, and a CBI investigation if required. He also sought a stay on the final results and appointments until the inquiry is completed. Praveen Patil, director of Kautilya Academy in Nandurbar, denied the allegations, saying the institute had no role in any paper leak. He said he only conducts coaching classes and was unaware of the claims being made against the academy.The controversy has triggered political reactions, with Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal alleging that the government was remaining silent despite serious complaints affecting the future of students. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare also demanded a fair investigation, alleging that the student who initially complained to the MPSC was pressured and later became unreachable. Responding to the allegations, MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimanwar said the Commission had received an email on July 21 alleging irregularities and sought evidence from the complainant. He said WhatsApp screenshots were submitted on July 23, but the complainant failed to appear before the Commission when summoned on July 27.Bhimanwar further said the complainant later sent another email withdrawing the allegation, stating that the viral document did not match the actual question paper and that the screenshots had been circulated after the examination as part of an attempt to create the impression of a leak. However, despite the retraction, the MPSC said it would refer the matter to the police for an independent investigation and assured candidates that strict action would be taken if any wrongdoing was established.- EndsPublished By: Ritaban MisraPublished On: Jul 27, 2026 22:12 IST