The Bombay High Court (HC) on Wednesday extended support to the students protesting alleged irregularities and the lack of transparency in the recruitment process helmed by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), noting that the people who are raising genuine concerns cannot simply be branded ‘anti-nationals.’

A division bench of the HC, headed by Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and comprising Justice Advait Sethna said students in Pune, the education hub of the state, would not take to the streets unless they had serious grievances. It urged the Maharashtra government to initiate genuine steps to address their concerns and restore their faith in the Commission’s recruitment system.

Govt directed to rebuild students’ trust

The bench remarked, “Pune is an education hub of the state and students coming to this city for education are genuinely interested in their studies and they aren't into getting down on streets for their demands, but if they are agitating it means there are some serious grievances; such students cannot be termed as anti-nationals.”

While recognising the concerns of the agitators, the court also asked them to return to their studies. It added that if the students wanted to keep the demonstration in force, they would have to obtain prior permission and move their agitation to an alternative designated location, as protests could not continue on roads meant for the public.

The bench observed that the grievances raised by the students concern not only individual examinations but the broader functioning of the MPSC, which is responsible for filling more than 70,000 government vacancies. The protestors have flagged numerous irregularities in the recruitment process, including claims of examination manipulation and question paper leaks.

Thousands of aspirants join protests

The HC made the observations while hearing a petition filed by a resident of Pune named Amit Supekar. He sought directives for the authorities to provide designated space for the protestors and action against simultaneous ‘illegal’ public agitations.

Thousands of job aspirants have been staging protests at three locations in Pune despite the denial of police permission. Several demands have been raised in the agitation, including changes to the objective and descriptive formats of MPSC examinations.

However, the resignation of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar, amid allegations of paper leaks, remains central to the protests. The students have maintained their agitation over issues they believe affect the fairness of the recruitment process, while the HC has emphasised the need for authorities to address their concerns and rebuild trust in the system.

Earlier in July this year, student-led protests in New Delhi over NEET UG 2026 question paper leak erupted at Jantar Mantar, which culminated in the resignation of the then-Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.