Nagpur: The cancellation of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) recruitment process for the post of Drug Inspector, Group-B, in the Food and Drug Administration Department has triggered a political storm in Maharashtra, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of failing to prevent recurring irregularities in competitive examinations.

The MPSC cancelled the recruitment process following a preliminary inquiry into complaints of alleged malpractice in the screening examination conducted on March 22. The Commission said the decision was taken to protect the confidentiality, integrity, transparency and impartiality of its examination system and to retain the confidence of candidates who appeared for the test.

Gold Rate

Aug 26 ,2026 - Time 10.30Hrs

Gold 24 KT ₹ 1 62,400 /-

Gold 22 KT ₹ 1,50,700 /-

Silver/Kg ₹ 2,45,800/-

Platinum ₹ 88,000/-

Recommended rate for Nagpur sarafa Making charges minimum 13% and above

The cancellation, however, has provided fresh ammunition to the opposition, which has questioned the government’s handling of alleged paper leaks and examination-related irregularities.

Congress leader Udit Raj launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and called upon students and young aspirants to protest against the government. He claimed that a large number of examination papers had been leaked and argued that the only solution was to hold the government accountable.

“By now, almost 160 papers have been leaked. So, the paper leak in Maharashtra is nothing to be surprised about,” Raj said, urging students and youth to protest against the Fadnavis government and demand justice.

Congress leader Nana Patole had also accused the state government of being responsible for the crisis and demanded accountability. He said the government should accept responsibility and resign, alleging that the future of thousands of students was being jeopardised.

“Playing with the future of students is unacceptable. No one has the right to jeopardise the careers and future of young aspirants,” Patole had said.

The controversy has also drawn criticism from Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar, who questioned the MPSC’s explanation regarding the extent of the alleged malpractice.

Pawar said the Commission’s claim that the examination paper was available with only one student was difficult to accept. He alleged that the question papers had been sold for around Rs 40 lakh each through an agent network operating across Maharashtra.

“Even though the commission has cancelled the paper, their explanation that the paper was only with one student is absolutely unacceptable,” Pawar said, claiming that the Commission was also aware of the alleged racket.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has raised another key question, why an FIR has not been registered in the matter if investigators have established that the examination paper was available before the test.

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande questioned the government’s response to the alleged leak, particularly in view of the Centre’s stated policy of dealing strictly with examination malpractice.

Deshpande claimed that the investigation had established that the question paper had reached an individual two days before the examination. He demanded to know why a criminal case had not been registered despite the alleged possession of the paper before the test.

“If you have accepted that there was a paper leak and that the paper was in someone’s possession before the exam, why has an FIR not been registered?” he questioned.

The opposition has demanded a detailed investigation into the alleged leak, identification of those responsible and strict action against anyone found involved in compromising the recruitment process.

The controversy has also renewed concerns among thousands of aspirants over the credibility and security of competitive examinations conducted for government recruitment. With the Drug Inspector recruitment process now cancelled, candidates are likely to face further uncertainty over the next examination and the recruitment timeline.

The political battle is expected to intensify as the opposition continues to press the government for an explanation on the alleged malpractice, the absence of an FIR and the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in future.