A bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna said, "Students are not anti-social elements, nor are they protesting merely for the sake of it." 

The bench admonished both the state government and the petitioners. Taking cognisance of the matter, the Justices ordered the state government to submit a concrete roadmap regarding the entire recruitment and examination process within three weeks and adjourned the hearing until October 25. 

The bench also asked students to return to their studies and stop agitating. Thereafter, a group of 100 protesters informed the High Court that they were withdrawing from the agitation. 

The Justices emphasised that students are not anti-social elements and noted that the students coming to Pune for education have overcome significant struggles to pursue their studies. The court made sharp observations against the state government.

The bench said, "If there have been any irregularities or mismanagement regarding the exams or the examination process, they have every right to protest through democratic means. It is the government's responsibility to foster an atmosphere of trust among students. The lack of transparency in examinations is a matter of concern." 

It added, "The state government must ensure that exams are conducted fairly and that eligible students receive a fair opportunity." The High Court underscored the need for sincere efforts to regain the students' trust in light of recent events. 

Court asks students to focus on studies

Speaking of the protests held in Pune, the Bombay High Court remarked that Pune is a renowned hub of learning and said that identity must remain intact. 

"If such protests continue here, many parents might hesitate to send their children to Pune for education in the future," it observed. Furthermore, the High Court urged the protesting students to focus on their studies instead of protesting.

"Your job is to study, not to protest," observed Chief Justice Mahesh Tripathi. While urging that greater attention be paid to the matter, the bench advised the protesting students to take their careers seriously and return to their classrooms and the University. 

CJ Tripathi further clarified, "It is the State Government's responsibility to resolve the students' issues immediately and that they should expedite this process."

Presenting the State Government's position, Advocate General Milind Sathe said the key demands made by the protesters have been accepted. He stated those are: filling 70,000 vacancies, capping the examination fee at ₹100 (modelled after Rajasthan), and conducting exams in offline mode. 

"Additionally, a recommendation regarding the resignation of the MPSC Chairperson has been forwarded to the Governor, and the matter now awaits the President's opinion. A committee has also been constituted to investigate the entire mismanagement," said Sathe.

Sathe also said the Pune Police have not registered any criminal cases against the students so far, ensuring their careers are not jeopardised. 

Who are these petitioners?

Two residents of Pune, Amit Supekar and Saurabh Veerkar, filed this petition in the Bombay High Court through advocates Shraddha Dubey Patil and Ramesh Dubey Patil. They contended that the protesters are holding the public to ransom by blocking major public squares and roads in Pune. They complained it had caused significant inconvenience to citizens, and they demanded the protesters be removed immediately. 

They also requested the court to allocate a designated area for protests in future. They named the State Government, the Pune Police Commissioner, and others as respondents in this petition. 

The protests till now

Affected candidates had submitted a memorandum to the state government on September 24, regarding various demands, including concerns over alleged irregularities in MPSC examinations. Subsequently, a meeting took place on September 30, between the Chief Minister and representatives of the candidates. 

Following discussions on the demands and an agreement on certain measures, the police were informed of the protest planned on October 2 had been called off. However, some individuals held protests at three different locations such as the S M Joshi Bridge, Ahilya Study Centre, and Alka Talkies Chowk in Pune. 

Meanwhile, extending support to protesting aspirants of MPSC, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray drew a parallel between the demand for the resignation of Vivek Bhimanwar, Chairman of the board, and the opposition-led agitation at the national level seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.