Suspected paper leak forces Maharashtra to defer TET 2026

The Maharashtra State Examination Council on Saturday postponed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, just a day before it was scheduled to be held, following a suspected question paper leak.

The examination, which was due to take place on Sunday at 1,028 centres across the state, was deferred to ensure the integrity of the recruitment process, according to a government statement.

The decision followed confidential inputs regarding an alleged paper leak in Bhiwandi, Thane district. Acting on the information, Bhiwandi Police conducted raids and launched an investigation.

The Hindu quoted government officials as saying that representatives of the Maharashtra State Examination Council were immediately called to examine the material seized during the operation. Preliminary verification found that several questions recovered from the suspects matched those in the official TET June 2026 question paper.

Following the findings, a criminal case was registered at Bhiwandi Police Station and the examination was postponed.

The postponement triggered political criticism, with the Opposition accusing the government of repeatedly failing to conduct competitive examinations fairly.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshawardhan Sapkal questioned the government's ability to hold examinations transparently and demanded strict action against those responsible. He warned that the Congress would launch protests if decisive action was not taken.

The Maharashtra State Examination Council said a revised examination schedule and further updates would be announced on its official website in due course.