Maharashtra: Students Upset as MPSC Group-C and UGC-NET Exams Fall on Same Day
Pune, 17th October 2025: Thousands of aspirants across Maharashtra have expressed anger and disappointment after the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA) scheduled their respective exams — the Maharashtra Group-C Services Combined Preliminary Examination 2025 and the UGC-NET December 2025 Examination — on the same day, January 4, 2026.
The overlapping exam dates have created a dilemma for candidates who were preparing for both — the state service recruitment exam and the national-level eligibility test for lectureship and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
Originally, the MPSC Group-C preliminary exam was scheduled for November 30, 2025. However, after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced its own exam on the same date, MPSC postponed its Group-C exam to January 4, 2026, citing difficulty in arranging adequate sub-centres.
Around the same time, the NTA released its circular for the UGC-NET December 2025 session, announcing that the examination would be held from December 31, 2025, to January 7, 2026, across multiple centres nationwide. Coincidentally, one of the key exam days is also January 4 — the same day as the rescheduled MPSC test.
The unexpected clash has caused anxiety among students who had been preparing for months. Many aspirants, particularly those aiming for both a government job and an academic career, said they now face an unfair choice.
One candidate, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “After the change in MPSC’s schedule, I shifted my preparation focus to the Group-C exam set for January 4. But now, with the UGC-NET exam also on the same day, I’ll have to skip one. Both exams are equally important — one is for a government job and the other for a teaching career.”
Students pointed out that the first paper of both exams — general aptitude and reasoning — requires similar preparation. Many aspirants usually prepare for both exams simultaneously. The date clash, they say, puts them at a disadvantage.
The Commission, in its circular, stated that if an exam conducted by another organization coincides with its schedule, candidates must decide which exam they wish to attempt.
Meanwhile, students have criticized what they describe as poor exam management by various government bodies, comparing the situation to previous mismanagement incidents during CET, Sarathi, Barti, and Mahajyoti exams.
Aspirants have appealed to both MPSC and NTA to reconsider the dates to avoid putting candidates in a difficult position yet again.
