Commission plans complete clarity on score normalization and server security ahead of digital transition.

The Deadline

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) has established an August 31 deadline to address candidate concerns regarding the transition to online computer-based examinations.

The initiative follows a meeting at MPSC’s CBD Belapur office with student representatives, competitive exam tutors, and youth delegation leaders. Candidates raised critical queries regarding technical infrastructure, server security, and the score normalization formula used across multi-shift examinations.

MPSC officials assured representatives that the commission is taking a constructive approach to student feedback to ensure maximum transparency and fairness. Addressing concerns over scheduling, officials clarified that exam calendars are being structured carefully to prevent overlapping dates across different competitive tests.

To ensure technical integrity, MPSC aims to establish a fully robust, independent in-house digital examination framework by 2027. The commission reiterated that exams will not be outsourced to private contractors. Third-party agencies will only function as technology partners, while C-DAC performs comprehensive technical audits.

Officials affirmed that online examinations will only be conducted once all safety measures and technical readiness are fully achieved.

Court sets aside FDA suspension of four-star hotel’s food license over minor infraction, orders statewide audit of government canteens.

The Food License

The Bombay High Court has set aside an order by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that suspended the food safety license of Park Inn by Radisson in Navi Mumbai. Directing authorities to adopt a “realistic approach,” the court ordered the immediate restoration of the hotel’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license.

The FDA had suspended the four-star hotel’s license following a surprise inspection where officials reported hygiene lapses after spotting two insects in the kitchen area. However, a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the hotel had maintained an overall compliance score of 95 percent on hygiene and food safety standards.

The court ruled that shutting down operations based on a single, minor finding was disproportionate. “We are in India. We have to take a realistic stand,” the bench remarked while quashing the suspension.

Addressing potential bias in regulatory actions, the High Court expanded the scope of the matter. It ordered the FDA to conduct comprehensive inspections of all government and semi-government eating establishments state-wide including canteens at the Mantralaya and the High Court and present status reports along with video documentation.

While FDA legal representatives denied selective enforcement noting that several public canteens and prominent Mumbai clubs have also faced action the court’s ruling sends a clear message on balancing regulatory enforcement with practical considerations.

Frustrated residents call out PCMC inaction as hidden craters under waterlogged roads trigger collisions and severe commuter delay.

The Potholes

Growing public outrage has erupted across Kharghar as deep, crater-like potholes and poor drainage have converted key internal corridors into severe accident hazards. Monsoon rains have left several vital stretches particularly those serving Sectors 2 through 36 and connecting high-footfall destinations like Central Park, ISKCON Temple, and the Tata Memorial/ACTREC facility in a state of absolute disrepair.

Submerged under rainwater, the hidden potholes pose an invisible trap for two-wheeler riders and daily commuters. Frequent incidents of motorists skidding, losing balance, and crashing into deep depressions have been reported. The situation is further compounded by heavy commercial vehicles making sudden, erratic maneuvers to dodge the craters, causing minor rear-end collisions and massive traffic bottlenecks during peak commuting hours.

Local residents and civic activists have strongly criticized the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for its inaction. Frustrated tax-paying citizens point out that recurring temporary patch-ups dissolve within weeks of heavy downpours, reflecting a lack of quality control in municipal road maintenance contracts.

Demanding immediate accountability, community members have urged civic authorities to deploy emergency road repair teams, clear clogged storm-water drains, and execute comprehensive quality audits on recent infrastructure works before major casualties occur.