Explainer: Why A Question Paper Leak Has Left The Congress Red-Faced In Rajasthan

The  Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan is in the eye of controversy after police investigations revealed that the question paper of the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) was stolen from an office of the state education department and leaked.

The case so far

On September 26, 2021, around 16 lakh candidates had appeared for the REET examination conducted for the direct recruitment of primary and upper primary government school teachers in Rajasthan for around 31,000 posts. And interestingly on the exam date, the Rajasthan government had banned internet services across the state to ensure free and fair examination across the state. The move had received huge criticism as local businesses were affected across the state.

The allegations of irregularities surfaced just after the exam was held. The Rajasthan police had recovered Bluetooth devices in slippers from some persons who were later arrested in Bikaner. The police had then said in a statement that such devices were sold for Rs 6 lakh.

At the initial stage, the Rajasthan government had denied allegations of question paper leak but later the special operations group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police found proof that the paper was indeed leaked. Following which the government suspended several government officials including teachers, officers of the Rajasthan Police Service (RPS) and Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) for irregularities during the examination.

The police investigation has revealed that the paper was leaked on September 24, 2021, just two days before the examination from the Shiksha Sankul complex where offices of the education department are situated in Jaipur and the accused had received approximately Rs 1.22 crore in exchange for the paper.

The Special Operation Group which is investigating the case had revealed that a man named Ramkripal Meena who was employed by the district coordinator for the REET examination, had stolen one question paper after opening the envelope when the papers arrived at the office inside the Shiksha Sankul building in Jaipur.

On Saturday the chairman of the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education  D P Jaroli, secretary Arvind Kumar Sengwa, and three officials including the Board’s secretary Dr Subhash Yadav and Dr BS Bairwa linked with the paper leak were suspended by the Rajasthan government. On Sunday the police arrested the district coordinator in connection with the case. So far 36 accused have been arrested in the REET case.

Gehlot government faces allegations

Opposition BJP which has been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the paper leak case. It has also alleged the involvement of a state minister from the Gehlot cabinet and demanded his resignation from the post.

The BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena has accused the technical education minister Subhash Garg of being involved in the paper leak case. However, Garg, the Bharatpur MLA of the Congress’s ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), who is also considered as a close aide of the chief minister Gehlot, has called the allegations as baseless.

Dismissing the allegations made by the opposition, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the opposition is spreading rumours and creating an environment where no recruitment drive takes place in the state. "We will be forming a high-level committee under the chairmanship of a retired high court which will give suggestions on uninterrupted conduct of recruitment examinations in future,” said Gehlot.

Gehlot said in a statement, "The government has taken strict action against those whose names have been proven by the SOG. The board's chairman has been dismissed and the secretary too. No one who is involved will be saved".

In wake of the REET scam, Gehlot has also announced that a Bill with ‘strict provisions’ against copying and paper leaks will be tabled in the coming assembly session in February.

According to the political analysts, elections are just two years to go, the REET scam can make things difficult for the Ashok Gehlot government which is trying hard to repeat the term. "The unemployed youth and teachers are a strong vote bank for any party. But the entire REET episode has irked the teachers as well as the unemployed youth who have staged protests earlier also. This can reflect in the upcoming polls in 2023", a senior Congress leader told Outlook.

A body of unemployed youth Rajasthan Berozgar Ekikrut Mahasangh (RBEM) has also demanded a CBI enquiry in the case and staging a protest outside the assembly on February 9. Upen Yadav, president of RBEM told Outlook, "Lakhs of candidates were waiting for this exam to happen after the gap of four years. And the way things have turned out has brought disappointment. We have made our three demands clear including CBI inquiry in the REET scam, increase in the posts and strong law. And we will be protesting outside the Rajasthan assembly on the first day of the budget session, in case our demands are not met". The REET exam has previously been held in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. 

The state government has also said that in the upcoming budget session, it will bring in a ‘strict law’ against copying and cheating in recruitment examinations.