Rahul Gandhi Backs Pune Students’ Satyagraha, Demands MPSC Reforms and Recruitment
Pune, 3rd October 2026: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has extended his support to the student-led Satyagraha in Pune over issues including alleged paper leaks, stalled government recruitment, high education costs, poor hostel conditions, food quality and alleged irregularities in the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
The students are staging their protest near the SM Joshi Bridge, behind Garware College, in Pune.
In a social media post, Gandhi said students from Maharashtra had raised their concerns with him during the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ programme in Pune. He said he had subsequently urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to introduce reforms in the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), make the examination system transparent and address the concerns of students.
Gandhi alleged that no action had been taken on these issues and said this was why the students were now sitting on Satyagraha in Pune.
According to Gandhi, the students have put forward two key demands: the resignation of the MPSC chairman and the appointment of an honest and qualified officer in the post, and the immediate filling of more than 70,000 vacant government posts in Maharashtra.
He said the demands were legitimate and required action rather than assurances.
The Satyagraha has been launched under the leadership of the Maharashtra Competitive Examination Coordination Committee. The Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) have also extended their support to the agitation.
Gandhi said he had asked the Youth Congress and NSUI to continue standing with the students until their demands were met. He added that he would raise the issues again with the Maharashtra government and seek a permanent solution.
Gandhi also alleged that the institution responsible for determining the future of students had been “taken over” and said the situation would not be allowed to continue.
The students’ protest centres on demands for greater transparency in competitive examinations, reforms in the MPSC system and the filling of vacant government posts.
