NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday intensified his attack on the Centre over recurring examination paper leaks, citing the cancellation of the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and accusing the system of failing lakhs of candidates.In a post on X, Rahul made three demands to the Maharashtra government, urging an immediate announcement of a fresh examination date, strict action against those responsible for the leak, and relief measures for affected aspirants.“Maharashtra TET paper leaked, exam cancelled. 6 lakh candidates left in limbo. Two weeks have passed, no trace of a new date. The leakers roam free, the system remains spotless, and the one paying the price is the one who toiled with honesty,” Rahul wrote.He said the affected candidates were future teachers who had spent years preparing for the examination, paid application fees, and travelled to distant examination centres, only to be left waiting “without a date, without answers.”“These are the country’s working and future teachers, the ones who hold India’s future in their hands – these are the very people who prepared year after year, filled out forms, paid fees, traveled to far-flung centers. And now they’re just waiting, without a date, without answers,” he wrote.Further addressing Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Rahul Gandhi issued a three-point demand, making an immediate announcement of a fresh Maharashtra TET schedule the centrepiece of his appeal.He urged the state government to announce the new examination date without further delay, take strict action against those responsible for the paper leak instead of penalising candidates, and grant age limit relaxations to aspirants whose eligibility may have been affected by the postponement.He wrote, “Chief Minister ji, three things, today itself: Timeline: Announce the new TET date right now; Accountability: Action against those responsible for the leak, not against the candidates; Protecting the future: Those whose year was ruined by this leak should get age limit relaxations.”Rahul said the government must act swiftly to restore confidence among lakhs of candidates left in uncertainty following the cancellation of the examination, arguing that the burden of administrative failures should not fall on those who had prepared honestly for years.He further said, “The mistake is the institution’s, the punishment the candidate’s, this is not justice.”He also announced that he would hold a public interaction on July 17 in Dehradun, where he would address the broader issue of paper leaks.“On July 17 in Dehradun, I will discuss the growing crisis of paper leaks with you in detail. The time has come for an education revolution, to build a system where the youth reap the rewards of their hard work, not the failures of the system.”Paper leaks have emerged as a recurring political issue in recent years, with opposition parties repeatedly accusing governments of failing to ensure the integrity of competitive examinations and recruitment tests, while demanding stronger safeguards and accountability.
