NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said on October 4 that he had contacted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked him to hold talks with protesting Maharashtra Public Service Commission candidates. Pawar’s intervention followed a meeting with candidate representatives in Pune. Loksatta’s Sunday reports and The Times of India’s separately bylined account describe the call and his appeal for dialogue.
The candidates have raised concerns about alleged examination irregularities, paper leaks, delayed recruitment and the leadership of the commission. Those complaints remain demands for investigation and administrative action; the protest itself does not establish every allegation. Pawar said the government and candidates should discuss a way to resolve the impasse.
The agitation also contains competing views on examination format. The Times of India reports groups at three Pune locations, with some supporting objective papers and another seeking a descriptive format. These groups had emerged over preceding days. Their existence is background to Sunday’s intervention, rather than a new examination rule.
Union minister Murlidhar Mohol gave a different assessment on Sunday. As reported by Loksatta, he said the government had accepted demands other than removal of the MPSC chairperson, which he said involved technical difficulties. He urged protesters to suspend the agitation. His account of what had been settled remains the government-side position, not a jointly confirmed agreement.
The reviewed reports do not establish a new examination schedule, the chairperson’s removal or a settlement accepted by all protesting groups. The October 4 development is the renewed political intervention and response while the dispute continues.