New Delhi - Alleged paper leaks of competitive examinations for government jobs and purported irregularities in recruitment process in Uttar Pradesh may serve as roadblocks ahead of the upcoming general elections for the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the Centre headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is at the helm of affairs in the state as well.

Not only government job recruitment examinations are being canceled in the state, but the allegation of paper leaks has also marred the state board examination.

Close on the heels of alleged leaks of UP police constable and revenue officer (RO) and assistant revenue officer (ARO) recruitment examination papers, allegation of paper leaks has also marred the state board examination.

 On February 29, three persons were taken into custody by Agra police, one of them is the principal of an inter college, for supposedly leaking biology and math question papers of the state’s secondary board education examinations.

As stated in a first information report (FIR) filed at Fatehpur Sikri police station in Agra, photos of the said question papers were shared on a Whatsapp group called ‘All Principals Agra’ on February 29 at approximately 3:11 pm, when the examinations were in progress. 

The phone number with which the papers were shared in the group allegedly belonged to one Vinay Chaudhary, a computer operator at Athar Singh Inter-College in Fatehpur Sikri.

Four individuals were named in the police complaint as being responsible for the reported leak: Gajendra Singh, static magistrate and veterinary officer; Gambhir Singh, an additional centre administrator at the GSK Inter College; Vinay Chaudhary; and his father Rajendra Singh, who is the principal of Athar Singh Inter College.

One Dinesh Kumar, the district inspector of schools, filed the complaint.

The police have invoked section 72 of the Information Technology Act and sections 3 and 4 of the UP Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 1998 against the accused.

However, seeking to douse down the situation, the UP Intermediate Education Department said that the purported paper leak was an isolated act by a person, Chaudhary, to assist a student in cheating. 

Interestingly, despite the alleged paper leak, Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad Secretary Dibyakant Shukla claimed the examination’s overall sanctity remained unaffected.

The examination was set to begin from 2 pm to 5:15 pm, according to the official, but at about 3:10 pm, the papers were released on the WhatsApp group. By the time the question papers were leaked, he said, one hour and ten minutes of the examination had already passed.

After the purported paper leaks of the board examination, there are serious doubts on the fairness of the examinations conducted in the state.

Fodder for Opposition

Following widespread complaints of question paper leaks, the Yogi Adityanath-led government on February 24 cancelled the state police constable recruitment examination. 

A week later, bowing to pressure from protesting candidates, who protested till March 2, the chief minister also cancelled the preliminary examination for the recruitment of RO and ARO.

On February 11, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission had held the examination for 411 RO and ARO positions.

The Uttar Pradesh Service Commission has been instructed to reschedule the tests within six months from now.

While over 48 lakh candidates were competing for just 67,000 vacancies of police constable, more than 10 lakh candidates had appeared in the RO and ARO exams.

If the series of alleged paper leaks lacks potential to defeat the saffron party, which has customised plans inspired by Hindutva that gives the party an easy sail, it has surely given the Opposition a fodder to attack the incumbents.

The Opposition alliance of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the state used the claims of paper leaks and corruption in examinations as justification to criticise the BJP government’s track record of holding free and fair tests and facilitating a seamless hiring procedure for young people in order to combat the high rates of underemployment and unemployment.

One of the main issues that the Opposition is exploiting to poke holes in the government’s promises of growth is unemployment.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, also the former chief minister of the state, said the cancellation of RO and ARO examinations indicates that the BJP initially attempts to conceal its wrongdoings, but eventually backs down in response to public criticism — fearing electoral defeat.

This is a clear indication of the BJP’s impending electoral disaster and the triumph of the youth, he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that there has been a leak of the BJP’s defeat paper. 

“Remove the BJP and get a job,” he tweeted.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took to the microblogging site to inquire as to why question papers of nearly all UP examinations, including board exams, were being leaked.

“BJP is hollowing the foundation of crores of children and youth to save the examination mafia and the corrupt people, sitting in the government,” she alleged.

People who are accused of leaking the police constable test question paper on February 17 and 18 are still being arrested by the police, who are also investigating the alleged board exam paper leak in Agra and the RO and ARO exams. A Special Task Force (STF) constituted to probe the matter has detained accused Kapil Tomar in Ghaziabad after he was reportedly trying to assist someone in cheating in an examination by using a bluetooth device.

Suicides

Thousands of applicants who are hoping to get government employment are under a lot of stress due to the recent spate of paper leaks and disruptions to the regular exam schedule. 

A 22-year-old aspirant committed suicide by hanging herself in Firozabad. According to a note she left behind, she was depressed over not being able to find work and the recent paper leaks, said the police on March 2.

A 24-year-old boy also allegedly took his life in Kannauj last week under similar circumstances, according to his family. He was upset that he was unable to find employment despite appearing in several examinations, including the police constable recruitment test.

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