14 July,2026 07:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis addresses the media in Mumbai on Tuesday. PIC/X
Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 was postponed because of the police's prompt action against those involved in the alleged paper leak and not because the question paper had already been leaked. He also rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the state government.
According to news agency PTI, Fadnavis said the revised schedule for the examination would be announced soon and assured candidates that the government would ensure the test is conducted fairly.
Responding to Gandhi's remarks on the TET issue, the Maharashtra CM said the Congress leader often travels abroad and may not have complete information about the developments.
"The government had acted proactively and arrested the accused in the case, resulting in the postponement of the (TET) exam. The prompt action had helped avert similar incidents in several states," Fadnavis told reporters.
He said Maharashtra Police arrested those involved before the paper leak could affect the examination.
"The examination was postponed because of our action, not after the paper had leaked. The Maharashtra Police acted before the incident, and we are ensuring that the examination is conducted in a fair manner. The new dates will be announced soon," added Fadnavis.
According to him, the accused were part of an inter-state network and Maharashtra's timely action exposed a racket operating across multiple states.
"The accused are interstate criminals. By taking timely action, Maharashtra has effectively prevented paper leak operations in many states," he said.
Gandhi seeks fresh exam date, action against accused
The TET 2026 examination was postponed on June 27, a day before it was scheduled to be held, after police in Thane uncovered an alleged leak of a portion of the question paper and arrested three persons.
Subsequent investigations led to more arrests, taking the total number of accused to 10.
The alleged paper leak, which came in the wake of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) controversy, has affected nearly six lakh candidates across Maharashtra.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi demanded that the state government immediately announce a fresh examination date, take action against those responsible for the alleged leak and grant age-limit relaxation to affected candidates.
In a Facebook post in Hindi, Gandhi wrote: "The Maharashtra TET paper was leaked, and the exam was cancelled. Six lakh candidates are left in limbo. Two weeks have passed, yet we have no information on a new date."
"Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis), three things are needed today:
Hitting back, Fadnavis questioned whether Gandhi had made the remarks from India or abroad.
"He is often abroad and may not have complete information. Rahul Gandhi should first look at his own party and governments before making such statements," the CM said.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is tracking the financial and digital trail of the alleged masterminds behind the racket, Bijendra Kumar Gupta and Sonukumar Kishanlal.
According to officials, the SIT has found that the network extended across Delhi, Agra, Bihar, and Haryana.
Responding to a question about former bureaucrat RVS Mani's reported claim of a nexus between the Congress and Pakistan's ISI, Fadnavis described the allegation as "extremely shocking".
"I had raised some of these issues in the Assembly at that time and had even referred to the available intelligence inputs. This statement is very disturbing. I expect a proper inquiry into the matter," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
