Mumbai: In a major step to improve transparency, security and public confidence in recruitment examinations, the Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the state’s recruitment examination system.
The decision follows a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 12, during which the state leadership called for a complete review of recruitment examination procedures. The General Administration Department (GAD) issued the Government Resolution (GR) constituting the committee on September 4. The move comes amid controversies surrounding question paper leaks in several competitive examinations conducted for government recruitment.
The newly formed committee is chaired by V. Radha, Additional Chief Secretary (Services), General Administration Department. The seven-member panel comprises key administrative, security, technology, and academic leaders Sadanand Date — Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra State — Member, Virendra Singh — Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Artificial Intelligence — Member, Dr N Ramaswami — Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries Department — Member Secretary, Pravin Gedam — Divisional Commissioner, Nashik Division — Member, Air Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhosale (Retd.), AVSM, VSM — Former Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) — Member and Prof Shyamprasad Karagadde — Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay — Member.
The committee has been tasked with conducting an end-to-end evaluation of how state recruitment examinations are conducted across various government departments, authorities, and testing agencies.
The committee will review existing mechanisms and proposing preventive, supervisory, and accountability measures to curb paper leaks, impersonation, collusion, and the use of unauthorised electronic devices, recommend robust measures for question paper creation, moderation, printing, digital distribution, transport custody, evaluation, and result declaration and suggest action plan to integrate advanced Information Technology, digital systems, authentication protocols, access controls, audit trails, and surveillance technology into the examination lifecycle.
In addition, the committee will define minimum standards for examination centres, including physical infrastructure, surveillance, security readiness, and staff management, visit every revenue division across Maharashtra to directly engage with candidates, students, educational institutions, and stakeholders and recommend institutional mechanisms for seamless coordination among District Collectors, Police Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, educational authorities, and testing agencies, alongside establishing effective grievance redressal systems.
According to the GR, the committee will also study successfully implemented examination models in other Indian states and foreign jurisdictions. The committee will submit its comprehensive final report and recommendations to the state government after completing direct and online consultations with stakeholders.
(IANS)
