The general knowledge test for the recruitment of Class 2 teachers in government schools, conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), was cancelled on Saturday after the test paper was allegedly leaked in Udaipur just hours before the commencement of the exam. The police arrested 45 persons, including 37 candidates, in connection with the incident.
The police said 44 people were caught while travelling on a private bus, which was stopped at an intersection in front of the Bekariya police station in Udaipur district. They were caught solving the question paper. The police said seven of the arrested were “experts” who were helping the candidates solve the paper.
Acting on a tip-off, the police were monitoring the movement of the suspects since Friday night.
The RPSC said the exam would be reconducted on January 29. Among the arrested was the alleged mastermind, Suresh Bishnoi, a government teacher who allegedly sold the test paper for ₹10 lakh.
All other accused belong to Jalore district, from where they were travelling to Udaipur to appear in the exam. One suspect is from different district, the police added.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the examination had been cancelled “as a precautionary measure” to ensure that no injustice was done to any hardworking youth.
The rest of the exams will continue as usual, Mr. Gehlot said, adding that the culprits will be given the strictest punishment.
Mr. Gehlot told reporters on the sidelines of a function at a Jain temple at Vaishali Nagar here that his government had passed a Bill in the last Budget Session of the Assembly for giving strict punishment for offences like paper leak, use of unfair means and cheating in the recruitment exams. “Such incidents happen elsewhere as well, but Rajasthan is the only State where a stringent action is taken,” he said.
Activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP, staged a demonstration outside the residence of Education Miniser B.D. Kalla protesting against the alleged paper leak. BJP State president Satish Poonia said the leak of paper had depicted the Congress government’s failure to conduct recruitment exams with fairness and secrecy.
Published - December 24, 2022 04:19 pm IST
