Aspirants preparing for the exams conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) are demanding the postponement of the State Services Exam’s preliminary test, scheduled for September 28. The reason behind this plea is the widespread floods across the state that have caused significant logistical issues, with many candidates losing their study materials.

Students from various parts of Maharashtra are pressing for the postponement, especially after the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) exam, initially scheduled for September 25 and 26, was also postponed.

Rohit Narayankar, a resident of Solapur, shared his concerns: “Incessant rains in Solapur, Jalgaon, and the Marathwada region have caused floods, and many residents and civil services aspirants are suffering too, as they have lost their study material.”

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-50 kmph between September 25 and 28. These conditions are expected to bring heavy downpours, waterlogging, and slower transportation flow due to generally cloudy skies.

Akshay Killedar, an MPSC aspirant, highlighted the impact on connectivity: “Beed, Dharashiv, Latur, Nanded, Solapur, Parbhani, and other parts of Maharashtra have been suffering from floods, and their road connectivity has been disrupted. Key routes such as Pune-Solapur and Kolhapur-Solapur have been affected due to the floods. We therefore request the MPSC to postpone the prelims, keeping in mind the hardships faced by aspirants.”

Support for the postponement has also come from political leaders. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule tweeted in solidarity with the students, stating:

“The ongoing heavy rains across the state have caused great damage to students academically. Libraries are closed, and study materials have been damaged. Apart from this, the transport system is disrupted, and vehicles cannot reach many places. Despite this, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission State Service Examination is scheduled for September 28.

It is unlikely that students from Marathwada will be able to reach the examination centres on time. Therefore, the students are demanding that the examination be postponed until the situation returns to normal. I request the government to consider the students’ views and make a decision regarding postponing the examination.”

As the floods continue to hamper normal life across Maharashtra, the fate of the MPSC preliminary exam remains uncertain, with aspirants and authorities awaiting a decision that takes the prevailing difficulties into account.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/pune-stranded-by-floods-mpsc-aspirants-demand-postponement-of-sept-28-prelims