Bihar Elections | The Issue Of Paper Leaks Gets Sidelined As The Jobs Narrative Takes Centre Stage

In May 2024, the Patna police uncovered a large paper leak operation after the completion of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG-2024), arresting over a dozen people, including candidates, parents and “solvers”. The gang charged Rs 30-32 lakh per candidate, providing them with the leaked questions a day before the exam. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) took over the investigations and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made arrests. The most surprising aspect was that 67 candidates scored cent per cent marks and thousands of students scored more than 700 marks. A total of 24 lakh candidates appeared for the exams and more than 13 lakh candidates passed it. Amid allegations of a paper leak, hundreds of students who appeared in the examination held protests demanding a re-examination.

In March 2024, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) cancelled its Teacher Recruitment Exam after allegations of a question paper leak. The leak affected over five lakh candidates vying for 87,774 teaching positions. The EOU arrested 285 people.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Multi-Tasking Staff exam in Purnia on November 14 was another scandal in which mass cheating was uncovered. Multiple arrests were made and authorities seized Rs 4.2 lakh in cash, laptops, fake IDs and e-admit cards.

The Community Health Officer (CHO) exams conducted by the Bihar State Health Society (BSHS) on December 1-2 were cancelled due to manipulation by a solver gang using proxy servers. The exams, intended to fill 4,500 positions, were compromised, leading to arrests. At least 12 centres were sealed and the investigations continue.

These are a couple of state recruitment tests that were postponed or cancelled indefinitely just last year, while the state was gearing up for the upcoming elections.

In July 2024, the Bihar Assembly passed a Bill aimed at preventing question paper leaks and other malpractices in state recruitment tests. The Bihar Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, was approved by voice vote amid an opposition walkout. The legislation imposes strict penalties for malpractice, including three to five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.

In the run up to the 2025 state election, battling incumbency, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rolled out its slew of promises—one crore jobs, seven expressways, medical colleges, large infrastructure and economic investments in Bihar, freebies in power, ration, education, medical treatment and hike in stipend to farmers, fishermen and women running self-help groups (SHGs). Countering NDA’s promises, the INDIA bloc has offered to end contact employment in government jobs, skill census, jobs, loan waivers, medical colleges and freebies in power, education, agriculture and to all women.

Both NDA and INDIA claim they provided maximum government jobs during their tenure. During the JDU-RJD coalition government, Tejashwi Yadav served as Deputy Chief Minister for 17 months, overseeing recruitment. Both JDU, led by Nitish Kumar, and RJD take credit for these jobs. Yet, when it comes to paper leaks, no party seems willing to talk openly.

While the NDA was largely mum on paper leaks in its campaigns, the Mahagathbandhan raked it up occasionally in the run-up to the elections. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, while addressing a Mahagathbandhan rally in Darbhanga on October 29, slammed the NDA government in Bihar and alleged that rich students receive papers beforehand. He called paper leaks “a slap in the face” of Bihar’s youth. “The youth of Bihar can work as hard as they want, but only those who get the papers first will advance in the exam. Whenever the exam is held, the rich kids with connections get the papers a day before, and the hard work of Bihar's youth, the honesty of Bihar, the truthfulness of Bihar, get a slap in the face,” he said.

While there in no mention of any plan to deal with paper leaks in the NDA’s over 80-page long “Sankalp Patra”, in the INDIA bloc’s 32-page manifesto, there is just one line about a slew of legislations against exam paper leak.

Bihar has one of the highest youth populations in the country, but its participation in the labour force remains low. The periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) April-June quarterly report showed that the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) according to current weekly status for Bihar in the 15-29 age group was the lowest at 33.9 per cent against 42 per cent nationwide. In 2023–24, manufacturing accounted for only about six per cent of total employment in Bihar, while the services sector contributed around 25 per cent.

While this has pushed the youth towards seeking government jobs, repeated instances of paper leaks have caused delays in examinations being conducted.

Around 3.78 crore of the 7.43 crore voters in Bihar are between 20 and 40 years, accounting for fifty-one per cent voters. With both alliances wooing young voters with the promise of government jobs, voters stand divided.