Maharashtra HC Clerk Exam Protest Ends After Tech Failures

Job aspirants in Maharashtra ended a protest on Sunday after giving authorities one week to address widespread technical failures during a Bombay High Court clerk recruitment typing test and to schedule a fresh examination. The demonstration in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highlighted what protesters called a systemic breakdown in the administration of online exams.

The typing test, held on August 16, 2026, was for 1,300 clerk positions under the High Court’s Nagpur and Aurangabad benches. Approximately 13,000 eligible candidates across Maharashtra were scheduled to take the exam in three sessions, with about 2,900 appearing at centers in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Candidates reported that during the 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. session, computers malfunctioned, screens turned yellow, and keyboards became unresponsive. Many alleged they were logged out prematurely and subsequently marked as failed without completing the test.

Abhijeet Dipke, convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party, joined the protesters and characterized the incident as a “system failure.” He stated that candidates from districts including Beed, Ambajogai, Amravati, and Latur had traveled to take the exam after months of...