3 min readPuneJun 27, 2026 09:27 PM IST
First published on: Jun 27, 2026 at 09:25 PM IST
Minutes after the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled for Sunday following an alleged paper leak, the Opposition launched a sharp attack on the Devendra Fadnavis government, accusing it of failing to ensure a fair examination process and demanding an impartial probe.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi described the alleged leak as “a theft of the youth’s future”.
“Once again a paper has been leaked, once again an examination has been cancelled. This time it is Maharashtra’s TET. The country’s education and examination system has become a racket of extortion, leaving every young aspirant insecure. This is not just a paper leak; it is a theft of the future of our youth,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the recent NEET controversy, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded an immediate and impartial investigation into the alleged leak. He alleged that the BJP-led government had failed to conduct examinations without controversy and warned that the Congress would launch statewide protests if those responsible were not brought to book.
Leaders of other Opposition parties echoed similar concerns. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray claimed recurring leaks in examinations such as NEET, MPSC and now TET reflected the government’s inability to safeguard recruitment and entrance tests. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said the latest incident had once again exposed the government’s failure to curb examination malpractices and sought strict action against those responsible.
NCP (SP) Women’s Wing president Rohini Khadse said repeated paper leaks were depriving lakhs of students of a fair opportunity and questioned who would compensate candidates for the financial losses, lost time and mental distress caused by repeated cancellations.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve alleged government complicity in the leak. He claimed repeated cancellations were demoralising students who spent months preparing for examinations.
MNS spokesperson Gajanan Kale stated the postponement had affected more than six lakh candidates, including serving teachers and fresh aspirants, accusing the government of repeatedly failing to conduct examinations in a fair and transparent manner.
Responding to the criticism, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse defended the Maharashtra State Council of Examination, saying the authorities had acted promptly after similarities were found between the official question paper and material recovered from suspects.
“It has been observed that some questions in the question paper are similar to those recovered from the suspects. The incident is serious and the government has taken serious note of it. The police have initiated action, and strict steps will be taken based on the outcome of the investigation,” Bhuse said, adding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a thorough probe.
BJP minister Girish Mahajan described the alleged leak as a serious matter and said the Chief Minister was closely monitoring the investigation.
The MSCE postponed Sunday’s TET after three persons were arrested at a hotel in Bhiwandi early on Saturday in connection with the alleged leak. The controversy comes close on the heels of the NEET paper leak row, which led to the cancellation of the examination for the first time in 2026 and triggered widespread protests and demands for accountability.
Maharashtra TET has two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, and both were scheduled to happen on the same day but in separate time slots. (Image: AI generated) 
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