‘BJP will lose seats due to this’, ‘what can govt do?’: In UP exam hub, differing views on paper leaks as a poll issue

In February 2023, the question paper for the Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer preliminary examination got leaked, resulting in its cancellation.

Paper leaks have become one of the poll issues that Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav have raised while campaigning, hoping to strike a chord with the youth. The Congress in its manifesto has promised fast-track courts to adjudicate cases related to question paper leaks and provide monetary compensation to victims. In February, The Indian Express published an investigation after going through 41 documented instances of leaks in the last five years in recruitment exams across 15 states — their governments cutting across party lines.

In the busy lanes of Katra, The Indian Express tracked down 10 aspirants who had appeared for the constable recruitment exam to ask if question paper leaks were an election issue for them. While some said no, others said it was the government’s job to ensure free and fair examinations and could cost the BJP in the polls.

Anshu Maurya (19)

Hometown: Handia, Prayagraj (30 km from Prayagraj city)

Category: OBC

Father’s occupation: Farmer

Qualification: 10+2

Preparing for exams: 1.5 years

Anshu said paper leaks were not an election issue and the state or central government could not be blamed for the “greed of a few”. “How can I blame the government when the examination was held with so much security? I feel Opposition leaders such as Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi are fooling us,” he said.

Students in Katra, Prayagraj, cycle from their coaching centre to their rented accommodations. (Express photo by Asad Rehman)

Khurana Yadav (18)

Hometown: Kaushambi city

Category: OBC

Father: UP Police constable

Qualification: 10+2

Preparing for exams: 6 months

For Khurana, a Samajwadi Party (SP) supporter, paper leaks are a law-and-order issue that has nothing to do with elections. “What can the government do? Had some minister been involved in leaking the papers, then it would have been their fault. But the papers are leaked by the shiksha (education) mafia, and the officer,” he said.

Sachin Yadav (24)

Hometown: Pratapgarh

Category: OBC

Father: Deceased (was an autorickshaw driver in Mumbai)

Qualification: Graduate

Preparing for exams: 2 years

Sachin said the BJP would suffer in the elections because of paper leaks and unemployment. “I don’t see how youths are going to vote for the BJP when they are all unemployed. I can tell you that the youth in UP will vote based on unemployment and paper leaks and the BJP will lose several seats because of this,” he said.

Sashendra Kumar Saroj (27)

Hometown: Sultanpur

Category: Scheduled Caste

Father: Farmer

Qualification: Allahabad University graduate

Preparing for exams: 8 years

Sashendra said he was not sure if paper leaks were an election issue, adding that his vote would go to the party that would provide him and hundreds of others like him jobs. “I am scared that my whole life will be spent here in Allahabad. I have left home because I want a government job. For me, the only election issue is unemployment,” he said.

Ankit Tripathi (25)

Hometown: Kaushambi

Category: General

Father: UP police Sub-Inspector

Qualification: Post-graduate in Hindi Literature

Preparing for exams: 3 years

“How can leaking papers be associated with the government? It is an issue of corrupt officers. I think the BJP governments at the Centre and the state have made India a world power and I will vote based on that,” he said.

Rahul Kumar Yadav (21)

Hometown: Handia, Prayagraj

Category: OBC

Father: Farmer

Qualification: Graduate

Preparing for exams: 2 years

Rahul said had the constable recruitment examination not been cancelled despite the leak, it would been an election issue. “I don’t think paper leaks have become an election issue this time. One, because the government cancelled the examination and announced that it would be rescheduled … I agree with Rahul Gandhi when he says that there should be a law against paper leaks. That is the only way to stop it,” he said.

Shivanshu Yadav (22)

Hometown: Ghazipur

Category: OBC

Father: Farmer

Qualification: Graduate

Preparing for exams: 3 years

“It is an issue related to our society and corruption. We shouldn’t let it affect the election. Paper leaks happen under all governments, including when the SP was in power, and I don’t think we should let this affect this election,” he said.

Brijesh Pal (24)

Hometown: Azamgarh

Category: OBC

Father: Farmer

Qualification: Graduate

Preparing for exams: 3 years

According to Brijesh, the INDIA alliance will benefit from the issue, especially in UP. “First of all, it takes years for vacancies to open up. Then, when they come, examination dates are announced and examinations are held. But eventually, the examination is cancelled because the paper is leaked. Who is responsible for this? It has to be the government,” he said.

Brijraj Singh (22)

Hometown: Mahoba

Category: General

Father: Farmer

Qualification: Graduate

Preparing for exams: 1 year

While Brijraj criticised the Narendra Modi government for failing to tackle unemployment and price rise, he said, “My vote is for Modi. He has done so much on the international scale.”

Jitendra Yadav (20)

Hometown: Kaushambi

Category: OBC

Father: Farmer

Qualification: 10+2

Preparing for exams: For 1 year

Jitendra blamed the BJP government at the Centre and UP for failing to stop the leaks and reducing government job vacancies. “I think Rahul Gandhi is a good leader. The BJP keeps raising issues related to religion which has great appeal for illiterate people in the country. But for people like us, employment is the only election issue,” he said.