Maharashtra teacher recruitment test cancelled after raid reveals paper leak; 3 arrested

MUmbai: Amid nationwide uproar o'er the subject Eligibility cum spellbind try out (NEET) paper leak out, the Maharashtra State Examination Council (MSEC) on Saturday cancelled the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled on Sunday after parts of the question paper were allegedly leaked. School education minister Dada Bhuse said a fresh date for the exam would be announced after proper preparation and a transparent probe.“Considering recent cases of paper leak and to conduct examinations in a transparent manner, we need to consider an online model for the TET examination,” Bhuse said.The cancellation of the exam a day ahead of the scheduled date has sparked unrest among candidates, especially serving teachers under 55 years who must clear the TET by 2028 to remain in service as per the apex court’s mandate.A total of 600,125 candidates registered for this year’s TET, out of which 258,061 registered for paper 1 (for candidates seeking to teach primary classes) and 342,064 registered for paper 2 (for candidates seeking to teach upper primary classes). The exam was scheduled to be held across 1,028 centres on Sunday.According to Nandkumar Bedse, chairman, MSEC, in the early hours of June 27, the police received confidential information that a few people in Bhiwandi acquired the TET question paper.“Acting on the tip-off, the Bhiwandi police raided the location and called officials from the examination council to verify the material. The officials found that some of the questions in the seized documents matched the actual TET 2026 question paper. Accordingly, the police registered a criminal case and started an investigation,” Bedse said.The Bhiwandi police have arrested three people in connection with the paper leak and are probing if others are involved in the case. Sources in the education department said the TET paper is generally printed outside Maharashtra and all three arrested accused were from outside the state.In a statement on Saturday, the examination council said it had taken several security measures while preparing for the TET, keeping in mind the irregularities reported in the NEET 2026 examination. Yet, it still decided to postpone the examination after the alleged paper leak came to light to ensure that the recruitment process remains fair and transparent. A detailed investigation was also necessary into the alleged paper leak, the statement said.Candidates in anguishCancellation of the TET exam has sparked unrest among candidates and prompted calls from activists and politicians for an overhaul of the examination system.“This (alleged paper leak) incident is a serious blot on the state’s administrative machinery. A CBI inquiry must be ordered into it,” said JM Abhyankar, member of the legislative council representing the teachers’ constituency.He also urged the government to grant an extension to serving teacher-candidates whose deadline for clearing the exam is nearing expiration.Bhausabheb Chaskar from the Active Teachers Forum said the requirement of serving teachers clearing the TET was demoralizing them.“Teachers in their fifties are being forced to take rigorous exams modeled after competitive tests like the MPSC. The examination process has left thousands of teachers in a pitiable state,” he said.Examinations should not be used as a tool for harassment, but to assess and enhance teachers’ professional qualities, capabilities and skills, and to improve the education system, he said. “That is why teachers have long demanded a restructuring of both the MahaTET and the central government’s CTET.”Tanaji Kamble, state president of the Maharashtra Progressive Teachers’ Association, called upon the government to conduct the TET exam online, to ensure transparency, security, and credibility.Prof Balusha Mane from the Shiv-Unity Foundation sharply criticised the administration and demanded that the masterminds behind the paper leak be charged under stringent laws like the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Such incidents cannot be curbed without imposing severe punishments that go beyond mere internal inquiries and suspensions, he said.Dr Madhav Suryavanshi, chief coordinator of the Shikshan Vikas Manch, highlighted the mental anguish faced by candidates who had prepared for the exam while managing school responsibilities, and demanded the immediate announcement of a fresh date.Anil Bornare, president of the Shikshak Mahasangh (Mumbai and Konkan division), urged the chief minister and the school education minister not to conduct the TET until it is restructured.