Mumbai, July 16: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, claiming that the very first spell of monsoon showers has completely exposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) developmental tallies and structural failures.

In a sharply worded editorial published in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Thackeray camp targeted the civic administration for its absolute lack of accountability, accusing it of staging a political drama over a recent tragedy in Chembur.

On June 30, an 11-year-old child, Vihaan Srivastav, lost his life, and several other children were injured when a massive roadside tree crashed onto their school bus near Diamond Garden in Chembur. Following public outrage, the BMC appointed an internal inquiry committee to investigate the collapse. However, the recently submitted report has drawn heavy criticism from the opposition. The inquiry committee completely exonerated the BMC’s relevant internal departments — specifically the Gardens and Roads departments. Instead of fixing direct administrative accountability, the panel merely recommended a combined fine of Rs 7 lakh, split between the contractor and the supervising project consultant.

The editorial labelled this probe a “predetermined, favourable script”. It revealed that the official directly responsible for the city’s concreting works was himself appointed to the probe committee, making any expectations of an impartial report “pure fantasy”.

“The committee appeared to have been engineered to deliver a predetermined, favourable script. By declaring the Gardens and Roads departments entirely innocent and settling for a minor fine on the contractor, the administration has given its own officials a free pass,” it remarked.

The Thackeray camp highlighted a glaring split in messaging within the civic leadership. While experts and local residents point out that excessive and faulty concreting around roots is a primary driver behind Mumbai’s rising tree-collapse incidents, the authorities remain in active denial.

“The Municipal Commissioner has flatly denied that unscientific road concretisation plays a role in weakening tree roots. The Mumbai Mayor and other ruling politicians have actively blamed the concreting works in an apparent bid to deflect public anger. With the release of the controversial report, Mayor publicly rejected its findings, demanding a criminal case against the contractor instead of a mere penalty,” said the Thackeray camp. It dismissed these moves as hollow dramatics designed to mislead citizens.

The Thackeray camp questioned why the leadership has resorted to rhetoric instead of enforcing direct, punitive action. “The Commissioner was appointed by you. The ruling power in the Municipal Corporation belongs to you. The committee to investigate the Chembur tragedy was formed by you,” the editorial pointed out. “Yet, when the committee’s findings spark outrage, you are the ones performing high drama.”

The editorial concluded by linking the civic failures in Mumbai to broader state and national leadership patterns. It argued that when leaders at the Centre merely express “regret” over massive financial scams like the Ram Mandir donation box scandal, and a Chief Minister at the state level openly threatens opposition members who raise voices against corruption, one can hardly expect better from their Mayor in the BMC.

“From the Centre down to the civic bodies, Mumbai is unfortunately being ruled by an administration of absolute deceit, leaving ordinary citizens and children to pay the price,” the editorial said.

Mumbai, July 16: 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.

Mumbai, July 16: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday targeted the BJP-led central government over noted educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s fast-unto-death, alleging that the Centre was ignoring a legitimate public movement while prioritising political interests.

As Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 19th day, Thackeray expressed concern over his deteriorating health and accused the government of undermining democratic dissent.

In a post on X, Thackeray pulled no punches regarding the central administration’s apathy toward public accountability, drawing a sharp parallel to recent structural controversies.

“It feels utterly awful to say that the government has decided to sacrifice Sonam Wangchuk — and by extension, a movement that represents a voice for this country,” he stated, adding, “When a government can watch silently as Shri Ram’s treasury is being looted, what difference will citizens’ movements make to them?”

He further alleged that the democratic guardrails have been compromised, asserting that standard public institutions have been brought entirely under central control to manage elections at astronomical costs.

Thackeray slammed the mainstream media for failing to question the source of these massive political funds, accusing major outlets of functioning under “invisible bosses” to defame dissenting voices while independent media operate under a constant “sword of Damocles.”

Reflecting on the BJP’s shifting relationship with the Ladakhi activist, Thackeray highlighted a timeline of convenience. He noted that in 2018, the ruling party highly regarded Wangchuk, inviting him to the Re-Invest Conference to leverage his expertise on unconventional energy. “One good thing about the BJP is that a person remains dear to them only as long as it suits their convenience,” Thackeray remarked.

He pointed out that while Wangchuk initially welcomed the Union Territory status for Ladakh, he quickly realized the government’s underlying intentions. Despite repeated assurances, the Center failed to act on core tribal and regional requirements — including granting full statehood, creating two Lok Sabha constituencies, and safeguarding local land rights.

Turning to the core catalyst of the current agitation, Thackeray strongly defended Wangchuk’s current demand for structural transparency in competitive exams and the immediate sacking of the Union Education Minister.

He cited a continuous chain of examination scams under the current regime, ranging from the historic Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh to the recent leaks in national eligibility tests and teacher recruitment papers.

This brazenness, he argued, stems from “unlimited power” and total grip over state machinery, which the BJP seeks to parade as the “silent consent” of the voters.

Thackeray concluded with a direct appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to view the student crisis beyond party lines. “This isn’t a political issue. This is a social one,” Thackeray emphasized.

“Lakhs of students who took the NEET exam, and their parents, have gone through such agony. Among them are supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, its office-bearers, and its workers — all of whom have suffered too. Viewing this movement through a political lens is fundamentally a sign of the central government’s narrow-mindedness,” he noted.