27 June,2026 11:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic
What began as a paper leak has now evolved into a major organised crime investigation, with the Maharashtra government preparing to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against those believed to have orchestrated the TET 2026 scam.
Calling the TET 2026 paper leak a "highly infuriating" incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday announced the government is planning to invoke MCOCA. Shinde said he would soon discuss the proposal with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reported IANS.
He stressed that the state government follows a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and that paper leaks are no longer just financial offences but organised crimes that destroy the future of students.
He said a thorough and impartial investigation would be carried out and that no one involved, regardless of their position or connections, would be spared, as per the news agency.
The Deputy Chief Minister praised the Maharashtra Police for acting quickly on intelligence inputs and conducting timely raids that prevented the leaked question paper from reaching more candidates, as per the news agency.
As per the agency reports, intelligence agencies received confidential information early on Saturday that a group in Bhiwandi had gained unauthorised access to the TET question paper. Acting on the tip-off, the police carried out a joint operation that exposed the leak.
Following the paper leak, the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday across 1,028 examination centres in the state.
The postponement has affected more than 4.28 lakh candidates who were preparing to appear for the examination.
The MSCE said the decision was taken to ensure complete transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.
Shinde assured students that the examination would be rescheduled at the earliest. He said the government would conduct the test transparently and fairly and ensure that the interests of honest candidates are fully protected, reported the news agency.
He also reiterated the Mahayuti government's commitment to building a corruption-free and strong education system in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the ruling Mahayuti government over the latest paper leak.
He questioned why repeated examination leaks continued to occur and said the government should focus on protecting the future of students instead of pursuing political agendas.
Referring to previous controversies, he asked whether the NEET, MPSC and now TET paper leaks were not proof of a larger failure. He alleged that such incidents over the past decade had damaged Maharashtra's reputation and forced students to protest repeatedly for fair examinations.
(With IANS Inputs)
