REET paper leak: Rajasthan sacks school board chairman

On September 26 last year, the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan had suspended internet services in various locations across the state to prevent irregularities during REET — an examination where over 16 lakh candidates were set to appear.

At the time, the internet shutdown had grabbed national headlines and the government had also drawn criticism over the inconveniences caused to the public because of the move.

Cornered by the opposition BJP which is staging protests and demanding a CBI probe, the government on Saturday took action against the two top officials.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also said that in the forthcoming budget session, the government will bring in a Bill with ‘strict provisions’ against copying and paper leak.

“While fixing the responsibility of the Board conducting the examination, its chairman has been dismissed and the secretary has been suspended. The state government will take strict action against every person responsible for dereliction of duty and negligence. No injustice will be done to candidates who appeared in the examination,” said Gehlot in a statement.

Earlier this week, the special operations group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police — the agency investigating the paper leak case — had confirmed that that the question paper was stolen and leaked from Shiksha Sankul — the sprawling campus in Jaipur where multiple offices of the departments related to education along with educational institutions are located — on September 24, two days before REET.

The SOG had said that a man named Ramkripal Meena who was employed by the district coordinator for the REET examination, had stolen one question paper after opening the envelope when the papers arrived at the Shiksha Sankul.

Gehlot said that the government has given a free hand to the SOG and that news regarding cheating, copying and leaking out of question papers of recruitment examinations keep pouring in throughout the country. The government employees who are found negligent in discharging their duty, will be immediately suspended and even dismissed, said the CM.

While the ABVP staged protests over the issue on Saturday, the opposition BJP stuck on its demand for a CBI probe.

“It is very much worrying that security agencies have brought Shiksha Sankul under the ambit of suspicion in the REET paper leak case. The criminal corruption that has come out during the REET exam is stunning. Despite this, the Congress government is not taking any steps to help the struggling students. The Rajasthan government has failed to maintain the trustworthiness of examination institutions. Now, a top agency such as the CBI is the only option to deliver justice to the aspirants,” said former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in a statement on Saturday.

BJP leaders have also alleged that politicians and high-profile people are involved in the paper leak.

Gehlot said that it is unfortunate that some people are trying to take political mileage and making an attempt to create an atmosphere so that no recruitment examination could take place in future and such people are playing with the future of lakhs of candidates.

“A high level committee under the chairmanship of a retired high court judge is being constituted. It will give suggestions regarding smooth and uninterrupted conduct of recruitment examinations in future,” said Gehlot.

While the results of the REET examination have been declared, the police have said that it will write to the RBSE to disqualify all those who are found in the investigation to have received the leaked paper.

After the examination in September, the Rajasthan government has suspended several government officials including teachers, officers of the Rajasthan Police Service (RPS) and Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) for irregularities during the examination.

“We have decided to gherao the Assembly on February 9, if our demands of a CBI inquiry into the REET paper leak, increase in number of posts and a strong law and against paper leak are not met,” said Upen Yadav, president, Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrut Mahasangh (RBEM).