From ‘sudden’ change in exam schedule to flawed centre selection, Rajasthan police flag ‘violations’ that led to 2021 paper leak
In its 96-page report submitted to the state’s Bhajan Lal Sharma BJP government in September, Rajasthan Police’s SOG flags several ‘irregularities’. This comes at a time when the state government has decided to suspend 11 trainee sub-inspectors previously arrested in the paper leak case.
BJP members during their protest demanding CBI probe into Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers 2021 exam paper leak case. (Express Archives)
Last-minute changes in schedule, flawed selection of centres and invigilators, and poor monitoring during the exam – these have been identified as being among the chief reasons for the alleged irregularities in the controversial 2021 sub-inspector examination conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission, it has been learnt.
In its 96-page report submitted to the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party government in September, a Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police, which is probing the paper leak case, slammed the RPSC for as many as 13 irregularities, claiming that these led “utter chaos in management” and “gave benefit to the cheating gangs”.
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The report, which The Indian Expresshas accessed, comes at a time when the state government has decided to suspend 11 trainee sub-inspectors previously arrested for allegedly benefitting from the paper leak.
In its report, the SOG headed by Additional Director General of Police (ATS and SOG) Vijay Singh claims that the “gangs” behind the peak leak used Bluetooth to leak the paper in advance, violating “the purity and sanctity of this public recruitment exam”. The report also recommends cancellation of the 2021 exams and holding it again, suggesting that candidates from that examination should be given an additional opportunity to take the exam with “age relaxations”.
Here’s what it says:
The report points to flaws in the selection of exam centres, claiming that while it was previously decided to hold the exams in government schools and institutions, with government officials as invigilators, private institutions and private invigilators were eventually chosen. “Hence, a non-transparent process was adopted for selecting the centre superintendent,” the report says, adding that it was also “very easy to get selected as an examination centre and get duty at the desired centre by influencing the examination cell people”.
“Thus, RPSC is completely responsible for this chaos. They have no control in conducting the examination,” the report says.
According to the report, which the RPSC had norms for internet shutdown, biometric verification, jammers, CCTV camera monitoring and videography at examination centres, “there was no such monitoring and security on the day of the examination”.
The report also slammed the “sudden” change in the exam dates, saying that while the RPSC had initially decided to hold the recruitment test on one day – September 4, 2021 – this was suddenly changed to three days (September 13, 14 and 15). This “increased the chances of paper leak,” the report said. “Similarly, the chances of dummy candidates appearing in the exam increased”.
Candidates were allegedly allowed to enter the exam hall up to 10 minutes past the start of the exams.“According to the RPSC guidelines, the arrival time of candidates at the examination centre was 9:00 AM in the first shift and 2:00 PM in the second shift. This was suddenly changed and candidates were allowed to reach till 10 minutes after the commencement of the examination, as a result of which the candidates who used unfair means in this case got the opportunity to read the solved paper,” the report says.
The RPSC also failed to provide information under the Right to Information Act about the process undertaken during the 2021 recruitment exam despite several applications from candidates, the report says. “On receiving the information, the applicants could have contributed to the fair action by drawing the attention of RPSC towards the deficiencies,” it says, recommending cancellation of the exam.
Meanwhile, the state government has suspended 11 of the 45 SIs who were arrested for allegedly benefitting from the paper leak. The move comes after the state government’s decision to send SIs selected through the 2021 recruitment process for police training faced a legal challenge in the Rajasthan High Court.
The suspended SIs are learnt to be under the Jaipur, Udaipur and Kota police ranges.
“These SIs were arrested and have spent more than 48 hours in custody. As per the Rajasthan Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1958, any police official who spends more than 48 hours in custody should be suspended. These orders should have been issued earlier. Now, we have suspended them,” Rajasthan Director General of Police U R Sahoo told The Indian Express.
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Significantly, 850 candidates were selected from the 2021 recruitment process. The exam, which was conducted under the former Congress government, became a major issue in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, with then opposition Bharatiya Janata Party promising a Special Investigation Team.
Despite this, the state’s BJP government has not yet declared the 2021 exam null and void.
On December 26, the Rajasthan High Court ordered the recruitment process of the 850 officers to be paused. The court will now hear the case on January 6.
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
