ABVP raises concerns over exams in Opposition-ruled states. What it is talking about

* Pharmacy officers’ recruitment exam (2026): Held for recruitment of 454 pharmacy officers under the Department of Health and Family Welfare on July 19. It was organised by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, and nearly 7,000 candidates appeared for it.

The same day, the Punjab Police stated that a massive “inter-state cheating racket” had been busted, and some candidates were held with a hidden pen camera inside an exam hall in Ferozepur. They allegedly photographed the question paper, sent images to their accomplice operating from Haryana’s Bhiwani, who further forwarded the question paper to others in Faridkot. The accused then dictated the answers in real-time to candidates appearing for the exam via Bluetooth, the Faridkot Range police said. Police have detained 35 people, including 28 candidates and 7 operatives (from Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan).

The AAP government maintains that it was not a “paper leak” but a “cheating racket”, which was preempted.

* PSSSB Group B officers exam (2025): The exam for 408 posts of Group B officers – such as naib tehsildars, senior assistants, treasury officers – was conducted by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) on December 21, 2025, in which over one lakh candidates appeared. After 22 of the 100 who got the most marks turned out to be from Bathinda district, with several of them relatives, the PSSSB asked the Vigilance Bureau to probe.

The Vigilance probe is ongoing. Recruitments remain frozen.

* ADO exam (2024): Conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), the exam for 200 vacant posts of Agriculture Development Officers was held on June 30, 2024, with around 4,100 aspirants appearing for it. Several aspirants alleged the question paper was leaked, accusing a senior official from the Agriculture Department of receiving a bribe of Rs 32 lakh to leak the paper.

The Punjab government has denied the allegations.

* PSTET (2023): The Punjab State Teachers Eligibility Test (PSTET), which constitutes two papers (Papers 1 and 2), was held on March 12, 2023. Over one lakh candidates appeared.

Paper-2 was cancelled by the Punjab government the next day and rescheduled, after it was found that correct answers for at least 50 multiple-choice questions were already highlighted in bold in the question paper. Two professors from Guru Nanak Dev University, which had conducted the exam, were suspended.

The government acknowledged the irregularities and said a probe had been ordered.

Paper-2 was re-conducted on April 30, 2023.

* PSEB Class 12 English exam (2023): The exam, scheduled for February 24, 2023, was cancelled at the last minute after an alleged paper leak. Nearly 2.96 lakh children across the state were affected. The exam was rescheduled for March 24 that year. But that day, the originally leaked question papers were again distributed to 185 students in Ludhiana and Ferozepur districts owing to “negligence of on-duty staff”.

The 185 appeared for the exam a third time on May 22.

* Naib tehsildar exam (2022): The PPSC conducted the recruitment exam for 78 posts of naib tehsildar on May 22, 2022, for which at least 42,000 appeared. Following allegations of massive cheating, major irregularities, and rigging, the Department of Revenue and Rehabilitation ordered its cancellation. It was re-conducted on June 18, 2023.

Karnataka

On July 17, the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) published a list of 400 veterinary officers. After allegations emerged that each seat was sold for Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore, it put on hold the list and formed an internal sub-committee to probe.

An FIR has been filed against suspended KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa S Sahukar, his two daughters, other officials, and 29 candidates who made it to the list.

Jharkhand

In April, the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) conducted the 14th Combined Civil Services Examination. It declared the preliminary results earlier this month, shortlisting 2,204 candidates against 103 vacancies for the Main examination. Soon after, candidates began raising questions.

The controversy escalated after several alleged answer sheets surfaced on social media, including one belonging to a candidate from another state who appeared to have attempted too few questions to pass the exam.

The JPSC subsequently postponed nine competitive recruitment examinations for around 500 posts, including the Combined Civil Services Main Exam, until further notice.

Early last month, there were CID raids on the residence of JPSC Chairperson L Khiangte, after which he resigned. The CID has arrested several people, including JPSC officials and employees of the private agency associated with conducting the examination, with questions being raised about how it was selected despite being blacklisted.