High Examination Fees in Maharashtra’s Government Recruitment Process Spark Controversy
Pune, 14th June 2023: Direct service competitive exams in the state of Maharashtra are causing concern among candidates due to the high fees imposed by private companies conducting the exams. Candidates are required to submit separate applications and pay fees ranging from Rs 900 to Rs 1000 for each post they wish to apply for within the same department. As a result, even if a candidate is eligible for multiple positions, the financial burden of multiple application fees makes it unfeasible to apply.
The government recruitment process in the state is also being criticized for its sluggish pace. Advertisements for various posts are not released regularly, and the exam schedule is often not adhered to. Moreover, delays in the announcement of exam results and instances of corruption have further eroded confidence in the system. Against this backdrop, the state government has recently decided to conduct recruitment for B, C, and D category posts through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). However, these companies have been authorized to charge examination fees of Rs. 1000 for the open category and Rs. 900 for the backward category.
Adding to the financial burden, multiple posts within the same department are often advertised simultaneously. For instance, an advertisement from the forest department may include vacancies for various positions such as Stenographer, Junior Engineer, Senior Statistician, Accountant, Surveyor, and Forest Guard Group-C. Candidates frequently apply for multiple posts and may even qualify for several of them. However, each application requires a separate fee payment. With the current fee structure, candidates end up paying thousands of rupees for exams within a single department alone.
Last year, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission conducted a joint examination for the posts of Assistant Room Officer, State Tax Inspector, Sub-Inspector of Police, Sub-Registrar, and Inspector of Stamps, with candidates paying only a nominal fee of three hundred to four hundred rupees for all these exams. Consequently, candidates are questioning the exorbitant fees now being charged for direct service recruitment.
Mahesh Gharbude, a representative of the MPSC Coordinating Committee, expressed his concerns, stating that no government recruitment exam at the national level charges Rs. 1,000 as a fee. He further highlighted that prominent exams like UPSC, Railways, and Banking have significantly lower fees. Gharbude raised the question of whose benefit the fee hike serves, suggesting that it amounts to exploiting students in the name of companies.
Candidates themselves are feeling the financial strain. Mithun Bhalerao, an exam candidate, emphasized that qualifying for multiple posts within various departments necessitates separate applications and fee payments. The cumulative cost becomes unaffordable, particularly for candidates who aim to apply for numerous positions. With at least eight departments and the potential eligibility for at least 32 posts, a candidate could be required to pay a staggering Rs. 32,000 in application fees alone. Such a financial burden is simply untenable for many aspiring candidates.
Kalpesh Shinde, another exam candidate, expressed similar concerns, pointing out that candidates often qualify for multiple positions within departments like Animal Husbandry and the Forest Department. Paying Rs. 1000 for each post is a significant financial burden that many candidates cannot bear. Shinde drew attention to the fact that the MPSC conducted a single joint examination last year for the positions of PSI, State Tax Inspector, and Sub-Registrar, charging a nominal fee of only three hundred to four hundred rupees. Hence, the substantial fee for direct service recruitment exams appears unjustified in comparison.
State President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sunil Gavane, voiced his concerns, stating, “TCS-IBPS companies conduct exams for various posts in the Central Government, charging a fee of one hundred rupees. However, when these same companies conduct direct service recruitment exams in Maharashtra, they are permitted to charge fees ranging from Rs. 900 to Rs. 1000. Does the government believe that ordinary students should not have the opportunity to become officers? The fees for exams conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) range from Rs. 200 to Rs. 400. Therefore, the fees for direct service recruitment should be kept at a nominal level.”
