The Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (MAHA TET), scheduled for lakhs of candidates aspiring to become teachers, was postponed after the Bhiwandi Police unearthed an alleged paper leak just 24 hours before the examination. The development has triggered widespread anger among aspirants, many of whom say repeated examination irregularities are jeopardising their careers.
Speaking exclusively to NTT, TET aspirant Vikas Ghughe (40) said the repeated failures in conducting examinations have left candidates frustrated and uncertain about their future.
"Teachers are assigned additional responsibilities such as Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties during elections, which are beyond our core teaching responsibilities. After completing election work and our teaching duties, we still spend months preparing for competitive examinations to secure our jobs. The government must treat this issue with utmost seriousness," Ghughe said.
Ghughe, who is also the President of the Prahar Shiksha Sanghatana, Maharashtra, demanded the resignation of the state's Education Minister, alleging that someone must be held accountable for the latest paper leak.
He pointed out that candidates pay examination fees of ₹1,200 for SC/ST categories and ₹2,000 for General category applicants. "Lakhs of rupees are collected from candidates, yet question papers continue to be leaked. There has to be accountability," he said.
Ghughe also recalled the 2021 MAHA TET recruitment controversy, in which thousands of candidates were allegedly granted illegal marks to qualify. He said those responsible were never held fully accountable and warned that such incidents should not be repeated.
Calling for greater transparency in the examination system, Ghughe said officials should work with the same commitment to clean governance demonstrated by IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has highlighted what it described as a recurring pattern of examination irregularities in the state, pointing to several major paper leaks and examination-related controversies over the past few years.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) alleged that the latest MAHA TET paper leak is part of a series of examination irregularities in the state. The party cited the 2018 SSC paper leak in Kalyan-Thane, the 2020 Maharashtra Board question paper circulation, the 2021 MAHA TET recruitment scam, the theft of over 50 SSC Geography question papers from a Solapur strongroom in March 2026, and the Mumbai University TYBCom paper
Leak in April 2026.
Advocate Santosh Gangurde, State General Secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, said paper leaks have become a recurring stain on the education system rather than isolated incidents. He alleged that repeated examination leaks have caused severe academic, financial and mental hardship for honest students while undermining public confidence in the recruitment process.
Gangurde urged the government to move beyond constituting inquiry committees and instead identify and dismantle the corruption within the examination system. "How many more years must students suffer this injustice? How many more paper leaks will it take before the government wakes up?" he said.
