Paper Leak Forces Maharashtra to Cancel TET Day Before Exam

Mumbai (IANS): The Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) on Saturday cancelled Sunday’s Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026. The decision followed a joint raid by the Bhiwandi Police that exposed a question paper leak in Thane district just 24 hours before the statewide test.

The cancellation throws the future of 428,122 candidates into limbo and has sparked widespread outrage across the state. MSCE officials stated they postponed the exam, which was scheduled across 1,028 centres, to maintain absolute transparency and fairness.

Midnight Raid Exposes Breach

Intelligence agencies triggered the swift action after receiving a midnight tip-off that a group in Bhiwandi had gained unauthorized access to the TET question papers.

• The Raid: A Bhiwandi Police team raided the location in the early hours of Saturday, detaining several suspects and seizing incriminating materials.
• The Verification: Police summoned senior MSCE officials to the spot to verify the documents.
• The Match: A detailed cross-examination confirmed that the questions in the suspects’ possession identically matched the official June 2026 TET paper.

Following the confirmation, the Bhiwandi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused. The MSCE immediately called off Sunday’s exam to allow a comprehensive probe.

High-Level Probe Launched

The Education Department and Thane Police have launched a high-level joint investigation. Investigators aim to unmask the mastermind, map the security breach, and determine if any internal board officials or printing press staff compromised the system.

The MAHA TET serves as a mandatory benchmark for anyone aspiring to teach primary (Classes 1–5) and upper primary (Classes 6–8) schools in Maharashtra. Over 4.28 lakh candidates had registered to take the exam in two separate sessions. Many applicants had already travelled long distances to reach their designated exam cities, only to learn of the sudden cancellation.

The incident has triggered massive frustration among aspirants, drawing sharp parallels to recent nationwide controversies surrounding the NEET and UGC-NET paper leaks. Outraged candidates are now demanding stricter enforcement of anti-paper leak laws and immediate accountability from the education department.

The MSCE assured candidates that it will finalise a fresh date for the Maharashtra TET 2026 soon. The council will publish all updates regarding rescheduled dates and revised guidelines directly on its official website.