Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said there is currently no plan to shift Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment examinations to a computer-based testing (CBT) format. The existing offline examination system using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets will continue for now.
The clarification comes after strong opposition from civil service aspirants over the proposed move to online examinations. Candidates had raised concerns about technical problems, connectivity issues, examination-centre infrastructure and the possibility of malpractice at private testing centres.
“There is currently no plan to conduct the MPSC examinations online,” Fadnavis said. He added that the earlier decision to introduce online examinations had already been postponed and that the existing system would continue.
The chief minister also sought to clarify remarks made by MPSC chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar. Fadnavis said the chairperson’s comments had been misconstrued and insisted that he had not announced an immediate shift to online examinations.
The MPSC had announced in June that it planned to introduce computer-based tests for competitive examinations for Group A, Group B and Group C posts from 2027. Under the proposed system, candidates would take examinations directly on computers instead of marking answers on OMR sheets.
The plan faced significant resistance from aspirants and student groups. Many candidates argued that Maharashtra’s digital examination infrastructure was not yet reliable enough to support large-scale recruitment tests across the state.
Concerns were particularly raised about candidates appearing from rural and remote areas, where internet connectivity and access to adequate computer-based examination facilities can vary considerably.
Under the proposed online system, some major recruitment examinations, including the Maharashtra Civil Services Gazetted Group A and Group B Combined Preliminary Examination, Maharashtra Group B Non-Gazetted Services Preliminary Examination and Maharashtra Group C Services Preliminary Examination, were expected to be conducted more frequently.
The commission later deferred the transition to CBT until July 2027. It also put on hold plans to conduct the Maharashtra Group-C Services Combined Preliminary Examination-2026 through the online system.
The MPSC had argued that computer-based examinations could help speed up the evaluation process and make it easier to maintain examination schedules. However, aspirants have demanded that the traditional OMR-based system remain in place until reliable digital examination facilities are available throughout Maharashtra.
Fadnavis said the government would take candidates’ views into account if it considers introducing online examinations in the future.
“Even in the future, if we consider making any such change, no decision will be taken without first discussing it with the students and aspirants,” he said.
The latest announcement is likely to provide temporary relief to thousands of MPSC aspirants preparing for upcoming examinations. For now, candidates can continue preparing for exams under the familiar offline OMR-based format.
The government’s decision also highlights the importance of ensuring adequate infrastructure before introducing major changes to the recruitment examination system. While online testing may offer faster processing and other administrative advantages, the government will need to ensure that candidates across urban and rural Maharashtra have equal access to reliable examination facilities before making the transition.
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