Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 27 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the ‘masterminds’ behind the alleged Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak should face action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), asserting that no one involved in the case would be spared.
This comes after the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled for June 28 across the state after an alleged question paper leak came to light during a police probe in Bhiwandi on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde termed the alleged paper leak “very disturbing” and said he would discuss the matter in detail with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ensure stringent action against the masterminds and the accused.
“The incident of the TET examination paper leak is very disturbing. I will discuss in detail with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against the masterminds and the accused in this case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA),” Shinde said.
He said a thorough, impartial and strict investigation would be conducted and that no concession would be given to anyone found guilty.
“No concession will be given to the culprit, regardless of their position or whether they are part of any organised gang. The strictest action will be taken against those concerned as per the law,” he said.
He further said the state government is working on a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption, and mentioned that paper leak is not just a form of malpractice but a serious crime that takes the form of organised crime.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde also praised the prompt and vigilant action of the police. He said that the police saved the future of lakhs of hardworking and honest candidates from going into darkness by conducting prompt raids based on secret information.
Assuring all the candidates who appeared for the TET examination, Shinde said that the examination will be re-conducted as soon as possible in a completely transparent and fair manner. The rights of no honest candidate will be allowed to be violated.
Deputy Chief Minister also assured that it is the firm goal of the Mahayuti government to make Maharashtra’s education system corruption-free, quality and more capable.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam alleged that coaching institutes are running a paper-leak racket and that a large-scale mafia is operating across the country.
“I am grateful to the Maharashtra government for discovering the paper leak before the exam even began… The bigger issue is that a massive paper-leak mafia is operating across the country… Coaching institutes are running a paper-leak racket. I urge the government to take this entire matter seriously and enact strict laws from Delhi to Mumbai to ensure no one dares to leak papers in the future,” Nirupam told ANI.
Separately, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged paper leak, saying repeated examination leaks were destroying the future of students.
“The NEET paper has leaked, MPSC papers have leaked in the past few years, and now the TET paper has leaked. Instead of splitting parties to amend the Constitution, the BJP should focus on stopping these repeated paper leaks. The BJP has been ruining the future of the nation,” Thackeray said in a post on X.
He further said repeated incidents had tarnished Maharashtra’s reputation.
“In the last decade, such incidents have been happening repeatedly in Maharashtra, tarnishing our state’s reputation. Do the youth have to just keep protesting every year? When will the youth of our country get to dream about their future?” he asked. (ANI)
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