Pune, 3rd January 2025: Thousands of competitive examination aspirants staged a major protest in Pune on Friday, demanding clarity from the government on age-limit rules for the Maharashtra Group-B Non-Gazetted Combined Preliminary Examination 2025.
Students gathered in large numbers near the riverbank in the Deccan area, Navi Peth, and surrounding localities.
Tension briefly rose when police attempted to clear the crowd. In response, the students collectively began singing the national anthem. The move immediately calmed the situation, with police personnel and bystanders standing still.
Videos of the moment quickly went viral on social media and sparked widespread discussion among MPSC aspirants across Maharashtra.
The protest was triggered by prolonged uncertainty over age eligibility. Students said the exam advertisement, expected in July 2025, was issued nearly seven months late. The government fixed November 1, 2025, as the cut-off date for age calculation, which made several candidates ineligible by a margin of just a few days.
Aspirants, especially those preparing for the PSI post, have been demanding age-limit relaxation for weeks.
By late afternoon, students began assembling in large numbers at the protest site. Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil arrived in the evening and publicly extended support to the students. He heard their grievances and later contacted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and Industries Minister Uday Samant over the phone.
Despite these discussions, no formal resolution emerged till late night. After further talks, the Chief Minister assured that students would not be left in difficulty. Following this assurance, the protesters temporarily called off the agitation around midnight.
Police had deployed senior officers and riot control teams at the site as a precaution, given the large turnout. The protest remained largely peaceful, reflecting the students’ disciplined approach despite growing frustration.
The incident has intensified dissatisfaction among competitive exam aspirants, many of whom feel that delayed decisions and unclear policies have put their careers at risk. Students say timely action by the government could have prevented the unrest. Now, all eyes are on whether the assurances given will translate into concrete decisions in the coming days.
