Exam cancellations and paper leaks have severely impacted Bharat’s education system, particularly during the tenure of the INDI Alliance in various states and at the center. These incidents disrupted the academic careers of countless students, highlighting serious lapses in maintaining the integrity of the examination processes. From high-stakes competitive exams to essential teacher eligibility tests.

Here are 10 such incidents:

• On August 31, 2014, an Army recruitment exam in Bikaner was cancelled due to a question paper leak. The Rajasthan Special Operation Group and ATS arrested nine people, including four ex-Army men involved in the racket. The exam, scheduled for 10 am, was cancelled after the leak was discovered in a bus with 40 students who bought the papers for Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh.

• The 2009 Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) was postponed indefinitely due to a suspected question paper leak. Preliminary investigations revealed tampering with the bag seals after the papers reached a Delhi courier company’s godown. CCTV cameras in the storage room were found inoperative. The Uttar Pradesh STF has launched a probe, with teams sent to Delhi. Despite broken locks and tampered seals, no question papers were missing. The CLAT exam, crucial for entry into national-level law universities, was originally scheduled for May 17.

• The Common Admission Test (CAT) for the  Institutes of Management, scheduled for Sunday (26 November 2003), was cancelled due to a question paper leak. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry contacted IIM Ahmedabad, the coordinating body, which confirmed the leak. The CBI arrested four individuals, including three doctors from Bihar, in Southwest Delhi for leaking the papers. This gang was involved in leaking other exam papers as well.

• On March 13, 2023, Aam Aadmi Party led Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced the cancellation of the state-level teacher eligibility test (PSTET) held on March 12, 2023, due to allegations that correct answers were provided on the question paper. Guru Nanak Dev University, which conducted the exam, confirmed a re-exam would be held without additional fees.

• On December 24, 2022, the general knowledge test for teacher recruitment in Rajasthan was cancelled due to a question paper leak just hours before the exam. Police arrested 44 individuals, including the alleged mastermind and 37 students. The leaked papers were found with candidates on a bus heading to Udaipur. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the new exam date would be January 29, 2023.

• On November 12, 2022, In Congress led Rajasthan, the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board cancelled the forest guard recruitment examination’s evening shift after a paper leak was uncovered. Police responded by detaining nine individuals following an FIR. The leak was discovered when police arrested Deepak Sharma, who received the exam answers via WhatsApp before the exam. Further investigation revealed a network selling the leaked papers for substantial sums. The accused were booked under IPC Section 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and other relevant anti-cheating laws.

• On February 7, 2022, the Indian National Congress (INC) government of Rajasthan cancelled the REET exam due to a paper leak controversy. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that the Level 2 REET exam would be held again, with an additional 30,000 vacancies. The CM assured that those responsible for the leak would be identified and punished. The exam, initially held on September 26, 2021, had led to the arrest of 36 individuals involved in the cheating racket. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police is investigating, and stricter norms are being implemented to ensure exam integrity.

• On April 11, 2004, the CBSE All India Pre-Medical examination was cancelled due to a question paper leak. Two MBBS students from Nagpur were arrested for selling the papers, and 13 students were detained for buying them. The Delhi Police Crime Branch discovered the leak in East Delhi. The incident caused significant frustration among students and parents, who blamed the CBSE and administration.

• On June 13, 2016, the Samajwadi Party-led government in Uttar Pradesh cancelled the applied physics examination for government polytechnic institutions due to a paper leak. The question paper was found circulating on social media hours before the exam, which was scheduled for 2 pm. Nearly one lakh students were affected by this decision. The state’s technical education department lodged a police complaint and announced that new exam dates would be provided soon. The incident caused frustration among students, who expressed concerns about delays in their annual results.

• On March 30, 2015, the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh cancelled UPPCS exam after the exam paper was leaked on WhatsApp just before the test began. The paper leak was reported at 9:15 AM, matching the original PCS preliminary exam paper. The leak affected around 4.5 lakh candidates statewide, leading to protests in Lucknow, Allahabad, and Kanpur.

For all the virtue signalling that the I.N.D.I.Alliance members, especially the Congress does, it is clear that they are no saints either nor did they take any action against the recurrence of such paper leaks over the years.