Mumbai, Sep 5: In a major step to improve transparency, security and public confidence in recruitment examinations, the Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the state’s recruitment examination system.

The decision follows a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 12, during which the state leadership called for a complete review of recruitment examination procedures. The General Administration Department (GAD) issued the Government Resolution (GR) constituting the committee on September 4. The move comes amid controversies surrounding question paper leaks in several competitive examinations conducted for government recruitment.

The newly formed committee is chaired by V. Radha, Additional Chief Secretary (Services), General Administration Department. The seven-member panel comprises key administrative, security, technology, and academic leaders Sadanand Date — Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra State — Member, Virendra Singh — Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Artificial Intelligence — Member, Dr N Ramaswami — Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries Department — Member Secretary, Pravin Gedam — Divisional Commissioner, Nashik Division — Member, Air Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhosale (Retd.), AVSM, VSM — Former Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) — Member and Prof Shyamprasad Karagadde — Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay — Member.

The committee has been tasked with conducting an end-to-end evaluation of how state recruitment examinations are conducted across various government departments, authorities, and testing agencies.

The committee will review existing mechanisms and proposing preventive, supervisory, and accountability measures to curb paper leaks, impersonation, collusion, and the use of unauthorised electronic devices, recommend robust measures for question paper creation, moderation, printing, digital distribution, transport custody, evaluation, and result declaration and suggest action plan to integrate advanced Information Technology, digital systems, authentication protocols, access controls, audit trails, and surveillance technology into the examination lifecycle.

In addition, the committee will define minimum standards for examination centres, including physical infrastructure, surveillance, security readiness, and staff management, visit every revenue division across Maharashtra to directly engage with candidates, students, educational institutions, and stakeholders and recommend institutional mechanisms for seamless coordination among District Collectors, Police Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, educational authorities, and testing agencies, alongside establishing effective grievance redressal systems.

According to the GR, the committee will also study successfully implemented examination models in other Indian states and foreign jurisdictions. The committee will submit its comprehensive final report and recommendations to the state government after completing direct and online consultations with stakeholders.

Mumbai: Setting an example of Hindu-Muslim unity in Mumbai, the Govinda Pathaks have offered the first salute at the entrance gate of the Astana of Maham Hazrat Makhdoom Faqih Ali Mahim. The trustee of the dargah, Sohail Khandwani, said that this is the specialty of India that here everyone respects each other’s religion and the Maham Dargah is the cradle of Hindu-Muslim unity and unity. Everyone attends here without any discrimination, religion or nationality. This is the reason why the Govinda Pathaks offer salute here every year in the traditional way. This tradition has been established for centuries because India is a country of Sufi saints. In the backdrop of Gokul Ashtami Dahi Handi, the police have issued an alert at the Mumbai police station. The police used drones to monitor the Govinda Pathaks. The height of the dahi handi was also fixed. In addition, children were banned from participating in high dahi handi. The festival of Dahi Handi was celebrated with enthusiasm in Mumbai city and its suburbs. In view of this, the traffic police had also blocked the highways so that action could be taken against the violation of traffic rules. Under this, the traffic police has also taken action against the violation of traffic rules. Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti had claimed that strict security arrangements were made for Dahi Handi in Mumbai city. Accordingly, DCP Raj Tilak Roshan said that the police are fully prepared for Dahi Handi and the situation is also being monitored. Apart from this, surveillance is also being carried out using drones. DCP Raj Tilak Roshan has also appealed for compliance with the law on Dahi Handi. According to the information received from various government and BMC hospitals about the injured Govindas till noon, more than 25 Govinda Pathaks have been injured while the Dahi Handi festival is still going on. In such a situation, BMC hospitals are constantly on alert mode, along with the police, there is also an alert. No untoward incident of any kind took place during Dahi Handi in Mumbai, however, there have been incidents of Govinda Pathaks getting injured and many have been discharged after treatment. Govinda Pathaks gave the first salute from the Astana of Mumbai’s Maham Hazrat Makhdoom Faqih Ali Mahayami and presented proof of Hindu-Muslim unity and solidarity. This Govinda Mandal raises the slogan of Baba Makhdoom and Maa Sahib ki Jai every year by giving the salute at the Astana of Makhdoom in the same style. This is a slap in the face of the haters. It promotes solidarity and unity. The police had made strict security arrangements at Dahi Handi, due to which no untoward incident of any kind took place in Mumbai.

Nagpur, Sep 5: A 38-year-old woman died in Maharashtra’s Nagpur after she was allegedly assaulted by her husband during a heated argument over her decision to attend a dance class instead of preparing food at home, police said.

The incident came to light after the woman’s condition deteriorated following the alleged domestic violence.

Police initially treated the death as accidental, but a post-mortem examination reportedly revealed severe injuries, prompting them to register a murder case and arrest the woman’s 41-year-old husband.

The victim has been identified as Yamini Krishna Lal Yadav, while her husband and alleged accused is Krishna Lal Yadav. The couple has two young children.

According to the police, Krishna Lal returned home from work and asked Yamini to prepare food for him and their children. However, Yamini was reportedly getting ready to attend a dance class organised within their housing society and declined to cook at that time.

What began as a domestic disagreement allegedly turned violent. Police said Krishna Lal was under the influence of alcohol when the argument escalated and he allegedly assaulted Yamini, attacking her around the neck and abdomen. The incident reportedly took place in front of their two terrified children.

According to NDTV, after the alleged assault, Yamini complained of intense pain in her neck and abdomen. She reportedly asked her husband to bring painkillers to ease her discomfort. Krishna Lal went to a nearby medical shop, but it was closed, following which he returned home without the medicine.

Yamini’s condition subsequently worsened. Her abdomen reportedly began swelling, indicating serious internal injuries. She was eventually taken to a hospital for treatment, but doctors could not save her and she died during treatment.

Following her death, police initially registered a case of accidental death and sent the body for post-mortem examination as part of the standard procedure.

The medical examination, however, raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding her death. The post-mortem reportedly found a fractured neck bone along with severe injuries to the intestines and other internal organs.

Yamini’s brother said the family initially believed that she had died under tragic circumstances. However, the findings in the post-mortem report suggested that she had suffered severe violence and there were signs of strangulation.

Speaking to reporters, he said the family was in Mumbai when they received the news of Yamini’s death.

“We were in Mumbai when we received a phone call informing us that my sister had passed away. The post-mortem report revealed that she had been strangled and had suffered injuries to her abdomen. It showed that she had been attacked in the stomach. Based on the findings, the police immediately registered an FIR and arrested my brother-in-law, Krishna Lal Yadav. He was booked under Section 302 for murder,” he said.

Yamini’s brother further said that the couple had experienced arguments in the past as well. He said his sister had occasionally spoken to him about their domestic disputes, but had discouraged the family from intervening.

He recalled that whenever relatives suggested stepping in, Yamini would tell them that it was a family matter and that their intervention could create further problems for her at home.

The family, he said, had therefore considered the earlier disputes to be routine marital disagreements and did not anticipate that the situation could turn fatal.

After examining the post-mortem findings, police questioned Krishna Lal and subsequently arrested him. A murder case has been registered against him, and further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events and circumstances leading to Yamini’s death.