Abhijit Joshi

The agitation over the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) may have ended, but the underlying crisis of confidence remains. For thousands of young people across Maharashtra aspiring to enter the state’s administrative services, uncertainty persists. There is reason to hope that the newly constituted inquiry committee, with senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as its secretary, will help restore confidence. But a larger question remains: why does the institution entrusted with recruiting...

As NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar reaffirms his opposition credentials, NCP leader Sunetra Pawar focuses on consolidating her faction within the Mahayuti. The two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are pursuing distinct political agendas in Maharashtra. While Sharad Pawar has ruled out a merger or realignment and is seeking to strengthen his party in the opposition, Sunetra Pawar is consolidating the faction aligned with the ruling Mahayuti government, with an eye on organisational...

There are some memories that do not disappear with time. In parts of rural Maharashtra, the mention of 1972 is enough to bring back memories of empty wells, dry fields, disappearing cattle and families leaving their villages in search of work. Fifty-four years later, Maharashtra is again confronting a serious drought. Much has changed since 1972: roads are better, state capacity is stronger, employment schemes and food-distribution networks are wider, and information travels faster. Yet the...