Mumbai, Sep 22: Amid protests over paper leaks, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced that Maharashtra will soon launch a recruitment drive for government positions through competitive examinations.

He said a committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha is touring the state to engage with students and stakeholders and gather feedback on examination processes.

Speaking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Fadnavis expressed optimism about the committee’s upcoming recommendations. Addressing student concerns, he noted strong demands to shift the examination format from descriptive back to an objective (multiple-choice) pattern.

He explained that the earlier decision to adopt a descriptive format was based on the Dalvi Committee’s recommendations. Still, the government remains open to student-friendly adjustments following the V. Radha Committee’s final report.

Acknowledging complaints about low vacancy counts in Group ‘C’ posts, Fadnavis assured that the administration aims to recruit record numbers across Group ‘C’ and other cadres. The administration will also soon decide whether to establish an independent recruitment framework for local bodies or conduct those recruitments directly through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).

Meanwhile, the V. Radha-led panel has been travelling across the state, holding interactions with stakeholders including students. Discussions have covered exam timetables, question paper quality, leak prevention, vacancy announcements, answer keys, exam centre logistics, grievance redressal and candidate ‘opting-out’ policies.

MPSC candidates urged the Task Force to publish and strictly adhere to an annual examination calendar, emphasising the need for procedural stability without frequent policy changes. Pre-declaring minimum vacancies for various cadres was also strongly recommended.

Task Force Chairperson V. Radha announced that competitive examinations will not be conducted online next year. Instead, they will be held using the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet pattern, with standardised operating guidelines being framed.

To achieve a zero-leak environment, the committee plans to leverage advanced technology across question creation, printing, transport and distribution. It is evaluating an encrypted ‘e-question bank’ system where even item writers remain unaware of which exam their questions will feature in.

Students demanded rigorous quality checks to eliminate errors in question papers and answer keys, alongside standardised evaluation metrics and reviewer audits for answer script verification. Stakeholders also called for a unified online portal for candidate queries and objections, as well as a single-window system for one-time registration and fee payment across all state exams.

Emphasis was placed on ensuring basic amenities at test centres, including clean restrooms, drinking water and proper seating arrangements. Participants advocated for a clear policy on post-selection candidate ‘opting-out’ to avoid seat wastage when a candidate qualifies for multiple posts, along with timely verification of disability and sports quota certificates.

The Task Force is studying operational models of public service commissions across the country, specifically systems in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), to adapt proven best practices for Maharashtra, Radha said.

Mumbai: The police claim to have arrested a thief responsible for stealing a motorcycle from the Dongri area and have recovered the stolen vehicle from his possession.

A case regarding the incident was registered at the Dongri Police Station on September 12. Briefly, the facts are as follows: a Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle (registration number MH01C7815)—owned and used by the complainant, 60-year-old Vishnu Namdev Phadtare—was stolen by an unidentified thief from its parking spot at Podar Building, No. 09, Dr. Maheshwari Road, Dongri, Mumbai.

While investigating the case, Police Officer Jadhav and the Crime Detection Team examined CCTV footage from Sandhurst Road Railway Station (located within the Dongri police jurisdiction). The footage showed two unidentified individuals arriving on a motorcycle and then pushing the complainant’s parked motorcycle away on foot. Subsequently, a technical investigation tracing the suspects’ route led the police to the Shivaji Nagar area of ​​Govandi. Acting on information provided by an informant in that locality, the police identified a man named Firoz—a resident of Plot No. 34—who was found to be in possession of the stolen Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle (MH01C7815). The individual in question—Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan (32), residing at Plot No. 34, Line B, Room No. 25, Road No. 5, near Ajmeri Masjid, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai—was brought to the police station for further questioning after police visited his residence. During interrogation, he revealed that he, along with his associate Dilshad Shahid Ali Khan (alias Bablu)—residing at Room No. 33, Plot No. 29, Line C, Road No. 05, near Ajmeri Masjid, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai—had stolen the aforementioned motorcycle from near Sandhurst Road Railway Station. The accused, Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan, has been arrested in connection with the crime and remanded to police custody until September 22. During interrogation, the accused—Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan (age 32)—admitted to stealing motorcycles from a total of four locations in collusion with his associate, Dilshad Shahid Ali Khan (alias Bablu, age 40); his arrest has resolved the case. Cases registered against him include:
1) Dongri Police Station (Case No. 625/2026, Sections 303(2) & 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita); Pant Nagar Police Station (Case No. 959/2026, Section 303(2) BNS); Koparkhairane Police (Case No. 598/2026, Section 303(2) BNS); and Govandi Police Station (Section 303(2) BNS).

The detection team successfully solved the case under the guidance of Additional Commissioner Shailesh Balkawade, DCP Zone 01 Manish Kalwaniya, and Mr. Tanvir Shaikh (Dongri Police Station) and Sagar Tilekar.

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the election dates for five key Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) seats.

The election covers three Graduate constituencies (Aurangabad, Pune, and Nagpur) and two Teachers’ constituencies (Amravati and Pune), where the terms of the sitting members are set to expire on December 6, 2026.

According to official schedule released by the ECI, the notification will be issued on September 29, 2026, last date for nominations is October 6, 2026 while scrutiny of nominations will end by October 7, 2026. Polling will be held on October 23, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and the counting of votes will t take place on October 27.

Incumbent Representatives from Graduate Constituencies are Aurangabad Division – Bhanudasrao Satish Chavan (NCP), Pune Division – Arun Ganpati Lad( NCP SP) and Nagpur Division – Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari (Congress). The legislative members from the Teachers’ Constituencies include Amravati Division – Kiran Ramrao Sarnaik (Independent but officially joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena as an associate member) and Pune Division – Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar (Congress).

The election declaration has set off discussion within the Mahayuti alliance—comprising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and NCP, with all of the constituents eager to assert their presence across educated and influential voting bases.

The BJP views the Graduate constituencies as its traditional vote bank, having historically represented seats like Pune and Nagpur through senior leaders. Party strategists are keen to reclaim these seats after losing them in previous cycles. Ajit Pawar’s NCP holds strong grassroots claims, particularly in Pune Division while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has been actively consolidating outreach among educators, professors, and youth networks across Western Maharashtra and Amravati.

Key organisational leaders from Shinde’s party have conducted regional tours and secured endorsements from various teachers’ associations, making a compelling case for Shiv Sena candidates in the Teachers’ constituencies.

Mahayuti leadership emphasised that a unified seat-sharing formula will be finalised smoothly, with alliance leaders asserting that the coalition’s primary goal is to avoid vote fragmentation and leverage combined cadre strength to deliver a strong victory.

“Our focus remains on presenting a united front. Each constituent party brings a distinct organisational advantage among teachers, professionals, and graduates. A joint strategy will ensure a decisive victory across all five seats,” said a Mahayuti alliance source.

With polling scheduled for October 23, seat-allocation talks among top coalition leaders are set to accelerate before nominations open on September 29.

On the other hand, Opposition comprising Shiv Sena UBT, NCP SP and Congress will soon meet to decide their poll strategy. Sources indicated that three parties are expected to jointly contest the polls as Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.