27 June,2026 03:51 PM IST | Pune/Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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The Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) has postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday, after a police raid in Thane district uncovered suspects allegedly in possession of questions matching the examination paper.
The decision was taken following a joint operation by the Bhiwandi Police and examination authorities, who confirmed that several questions recovered during the raid were identical to those prepared for the June 2026 examination.
The postponement affects more than 4.28 lakh candidates who had registered to appear for the examination at 1,028 centres across Maharashtra.
According to the Thane district administration, the suspected paper leak came to light in the early hours of Saturday after police received confidential information that a group of individuals in Bhiwandi had gained unauthorised access to the TET question paper.
Police immediately conducted a raid at the suspected location and detained several individuals.
Senior officials from the Maharashtra State Council of Examination were called to verify the documents recovered during the operation.
After examining the seized material, officials confirmed that several questions matched the actual TET 2026 question paper prepared for Sunday's examination.
Following the discovery, a criminal case was registered at the Bhiwandi Police Station and an investigation was launched.
Announcing the decision, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination said the examination was being postponed to ensure transparency and facilitate a comprehensive investigation.
"The Council remains firmly committed to conducting the examination with complete transparency. Given the gravity of the situation and the necessity for an in-depth probe, the exam scheduled for June 28, 2026, has been postponed," the council said in a statement.
The council reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards examination malpractice and said the postponement was necessary to preserve the integrity of the recruitment process.
According to officials, the Education Department and Thane Police have launched a joint investigation to identify those responsible for the suspected leak.
Investigators are examining how the question paper was accessed and whether any internal officials, printing agencies or others connected with the examination process were involved.
The MSCE said an extensive investigation is underway to identify the mastermind behind the suspected leak and determine whether any internal network or printing press had been compromised.
Authorities are also analysing the seized material and questioning the detained suspects as part of the investigation.
A total of 4,28,122 candidates had registered for the Maharashtra TET 2026, which was to be conducted in two sessions across 1,028 examination centres.
Many aspirants had already travelled to their allotted centres when news of the postponement was announced, leading to disappointment and frustration among candidates.
The Maharashtra TET is a mandatory eligibility examination for candidates seeking to become teachers for primary (Classes 1 to 5) and upper primary (Classes 6 to 8) schools in the state.
The MSCE has assured candidates that revised examination dates and updated guidelines will be announced soon through its official website.
(With inputs from Agencies)
