TET 2026 deferred because of police's prompt action against culprits, not due to paper leak: Fadnavis

Mumbai, Jul 14 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the TET (Teacher Eligibility Test 2026) was postponed last month not because of the paper leak but due to the prompt arrest of the accused by the police while rejecting criticism by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He said the new exam schedule will be announced soon and added that the government will ensure that the TET is held smoothly. Responding to criticism of the state government by Gandhi over the TET paper leak, the chief minister said the Congress leader often travels abroad and may not have complete information on the issue. "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 the police swiftly arrested those involved in the paper leak. "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," Fadnavis added. He said the accused belonged to an inter-state network and Maharashtra's action had exposed a racket operating across several states. "The accused are interstate criminals. By taking timely action, Maharashtra has effectively prevented paper leak operations in many states," he added. The TET 2026 was postponed on June 27, just one day before it was scheduled to take place, after police in Thane district discovered that part of the question paper had been leaked, leading to the arrest of three individuals. The Maharashtra Police have since arrested additional suspects, bringing the total to ten. The TET paper leak, which followed the national scandal caused by the NEET-UG paper leak, has affected nearly 6 lakh candidates. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi called for a new exam date, action against those responsible for the leak, and age-limit relaxation for candidates affected by the situation. In a Facebook post in Hindi, Gandhi stated, "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: 1. Timeline: Announce the new TET date immediately. 2. Accountability: Action must be taken against those responsible for the leak, not the candidates. 3. Safeguarding the Future: Grant age-limit relaxation to those whose year has been wasted due to this leak," Gandhi said in his post. Fadnavis hit back, saying he doesn't know whether Gandhi made the tweet from abroad or from India. "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 chief minister said. An SIT (Special Investigation Team) is currently tracking financial and digital trails to apprehend the suspected masterminds behind the leak racket, Bijendra Kumar Gupta and Sonukumar Kishanlal. The SIT uncovered that the racket was spread across Delhi, Agra, Bihar, and Haryana, according to officials. When asked about former bureaucrat RVS Mani reportedly claiming a nexus between Congress and the ISI, Fadnavis termed the remarks "extremely shocking" and said they raised several serious questions. "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. PTI MR NSK