Mumbai, Apr 16 (PTI) NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar has justified the demand of government job aspirants to increase the number of vacancies for an exam being conducted by MPSC after two years.

Pawar assured a delegation of aspirants preparing for the Joint Preliminary Examination Combine (JPE) on Tuesday that he would raise their grievances with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The JPE Combine refers to a common preliminary exam held by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) to fill multiple positions, including the police sub-inspector (PSI), state tax inspector (STI), and assistant section officer (ASO). The exam is tentatively scheduled for September this year.

“This examination is being held after two years. However, the number of vacancies (480) advertised is inadequate…..If the benefit of the commission’s decision to raise the qualifying age for appearing for the exam is to be extended to these students,” Pawar stated on X handle.

He justified the aspirants’ demand to increase the number of vacancies.

“The government and the commission (MPSC) should not have any issue in increasing the number of vacancies as several positions are not being filled,” Pawar stated.

The delegation demanded that aspirants be given sufficient time to prepare for the State Services Main Examination 2024.

“When I spoke with the commission (MPSC) chairman two days back, the commission asked to send a delegation of students on April 15. But that meeting could not be held yesterday for some reason,” he said, adding that the commission should consider the demands sympathetically and take a positive decision. PTI MR NSK