Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said the Maharashtra Public Service Commission's (MPSC) preliminary examination may be held by March 22. He also informed that the new date for the examinations will be declared on Friday (today) and it will be held within eight days.

Earlier on Thursday, the MPSC declared that the examination which was to schedule on March 14 (Sunday) has been postponed amid rise in COVID cases. It sparked protests with students staging Rasta Roko in Pune.

"The preliminary exam will be held within eight days (from March 14). The declaration of new dates will be made on Friday, this is my promise to you," Thackeray said in a televised message on Thursday.

Earlier, the decision of postponement was declared by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department in a circular. But Congress leader and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar stated that he was kept in the dark by officials.

"The decision has been taken at the secretary level without even discussing the issue with me. I know nothing about it....there will be inquiry into this matter," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, a large number of students took to the streets in multiple cities in Maharashtra and created a ruckus to protest against the MVA government. The protests that started in Pune were also seen in Nashik, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad and other places. The examination was to take place in April last year but was repeatedly postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

On the other side, leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis also demanded that the decision be reversed. "The exams have been pushed forward already and it would result in the loss of opportunity for many students who invest their best years in preparation," he tweeted.