Summary:
On September 10, 2017 pre-exams were held, in which 4724 candidates managed to pass the examination and the category-wise result was declared on November 18, 2017.The main examination was conducted on December 24, 2017, in which 1469 candidates were declared as having successfully passed the examination. A similar controversy had erupted last year after the MAT gave a stay to the appointment of 154 candidates as PSIs, who were part of a passing out parade at the Nashik Police Academy a few days prior to this decision, during which the guard of honour was received by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He then approached the MAT challenging the circular and stating that it was not a promotion exam but instead was a direct appointment examination for the post of PSI.As per the advertisement issued by the state home department, 322 posts, including 158 for the open category, were to be filled through the limited departmental examination, for which the eligible constables from the department were able to apply. On April 4, 2018, however, the government issued a circular stating that the conducted exam was a promotion exam and accordingly declared the result, causing enormous confusion, as the result was declared without categorizing the different candidates.Perturbed by the two contradictory communications by the state home department, one of the candidates, Santosh Lokhande, who is serving with the Mumbai police, raised questions about the declared results that were based on the circular dated April 4, 2018. Aurangabad: The various candidates among the police, who are aspiring to become police sub-inspectors (PSI) and have also attended the concerned exams, received a shot in the arm after the state government asserted in the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) that the 322 posts for the departmental examination held by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), is not for the promotion of the candidates.The affidavit contradicts the previously issued circular by the home department and at the same time is in tune with the advertisement that had been issued on June 14, 2017.In the said advertisement, the state government invited applications for filling 322 posts through a limited departmental examination and conducted it through the MPSC..