Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jun 29: Proceedings in the Maharashtra Legislative Council were disrupted on Monday after Opposition members staged a noisy protest over the alleged leak of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper, forcing the House to be adjourned for nearly 30 minutes.
The Opposition intensified its attack on the state government, accusing it of repeatedly failing to conduct competitive examinations fairly and demanding accountability for the latest controversy.
Raising the issue under Rule 289, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve questioned how another examination paper could allegedly be leaked despite the heightened scrutiny following the recent NEET-UG examination controversy.
Danve alleged that large-scale financial irregularities had become a recurring feature of recruitment and competitive examinations in Maharashtra and claimed that repeated paper leaks had undermined public confidence in the examination system.
He said that if the government was incapable of conducting examinations without irregularities, the Education Minister should accept responsibility and step down from office.
Referring to the NEET investigation, Danve pointed out that Maharashtra, particularly Pune, had emerged as a focal point of the probe, with several arrests made in connection with the alleged malpractice. Given that experience, he questioned why adequate safeguards were not put in place for the Teacher Eligibility Test conducted on June 28.
He further alleged that the latest leak surfaced in Bhiwandi and claimed that multiple individuals were involved, indicating the possible existence of an organised network behind examination-related fraud.
According to Danve, the TET examination, which is conducted to recruit qualified teachers, involved nearly six lakh candidates. He argued that any compromise in such an important recruitment process reflected serious administrative failure on the part of the government.
Several Opposition legislators joined the criticism during the debate.
Congress leader Satej Patil said it was the government's responsibility to ensure examinations were conducted in a transparent and secure manner.
Congress MLC Jayant Asgaonkar demanded that the matter be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while Congress legislator Dhiraj Lingade said the repeated incidents pointed to a larger collapse in the country's examination system.
NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Arun Lad also criticised the government, contending that paper leaks had become increasingly common due to the absence of stringent legal deterrents against those involved in examination fraud.
Earlier in the day, Opposition members staged a walkout after demanding that Question Hour be suspended to allow an immediate discussion on the alleged paper leak. They argued that repeated controversies surrounding examinations such as NEET and TET had damaged Maharashtra's reputation and eroded the confidence of students.
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said lakhs of students and aspiring teachers invest years preparing for competitive examinations, only to see their efforts undermined by recurring paper leaks.
He accused the government of failing to safeguard the integrity of the examination process and said the repeated incidents had created widespread anxiety and uncertainty among students and educators across the state.
The alleged TET paper leak has once again put the Maharashtra government under pressure, with the Opposition demanding a comprehensive investigation and stronger safeguards to restore credibility to the state's recruitment and examination system.