The Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, scheduled to be held on Sunday, has been postponed after a police raid in Bhiwandi in Thane district uncovered individuals allegedly in possession of questions that matched portions of the actual examination paper, officials said.
In a statement, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) said the decision was taken to ensure the integrity of the examination process.
"The Council remains firmly committed to conducting the examination with complete transparency. Given the gravity of the situation and the necessity for an in-depth probe, the exam scheduled for June 28, 2026, has been postponed," the council said.
According to the Thane district administration, the suspected breach came to light in the early hours of Saturday when Bhiwandi Police acted on specific intelligence inputs about some individuals allegedly possessing unauthorised material related to the examination.
Police subsequently raided the location, following which senior officials of the MSCE were called in to examine the seized material.
"Upon close inspection, it was confirmed that several questions in the possession of the suspects matched the actual question paper drafted for the June 2026 TET," the district administration said.
A criminal case has been registered at the Bhiwandi Police Station and a detailed investigation is underway.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance approach towards examination malpractices, the MSCE said postponing the test was necessary to ensure complete transparency and allow investigating agencies to carry out an unhindered probe into the alleged racket.
The council also urged candidates not to pay heed to rumours and said fresh dates and revised schedules for TET 2026 would be announced on its official website in due course.
The development comes amid heightened concerns over the integrity of competitive examinations following controversies surrounding the NEET-UG paper leak and other examination-related irregularities in recent years.
The Congress targeted the state and central government on the latest controversy, alleging that "there is no paper that doesn't get leaked" and dubbing the BJP-led Centre a "paper leak government".
"Who is giving political protection to the racket that is ruining the hard work, dreams, and future of lakhs of students?" asked state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Saturday. He alleged that "paper leaks" are no longer isolated incidents, but have become the identity of "this failed government".
NCP (SP) spokesperson Amol Matele expressed concern that if the teacher recruitment examination papers are being leaked, then no examination is safe anymore.
"Earlier, the question papers of CBSE, NEET UG, and several other competitive exams were leaked. This government has broken political parties and poached MPs; now it seems it has become known for leaks and betrayal as well," he alleged.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also attacked the BJP, saying, "Another exam has been leaked. They've spared neither the exams nor the temples. They're stealing everywhere."
In a series of posts on X, Kejriwal alleged that repeated examination irregularities on such a scale could not occur without the involvement or knowledge of those at the highest levels. He further argued that even if the top leadership was not directly involved, the recurring lapses reflected a failure of governance.
"The country is not safe in their hands, friends," he said.
