A test questionnaire for hiring teachers in the state’s public schools should have been leaked that morning, hours before millions of students took the test. About 1,193 test centers were set up for the campaign. With the high demand for government jobs in India, it is not uncommon for aspiring candidates to resort to unfair means. One of the ways many job seekers try to secure a spot is by cheating on exams by buying surveys or paying other people to write the tests for them.
The aspirants had allegedly paid the teachers, who were on invigilation duty at the center, money – the police did not specify how much – to solve the papers for them. Around 20 “dummy” candidates, who were paid by aspirants to take the test on their behalf, were also caught from the bus. Police alleged the accused were carrying fake IDs. A total of 48 people were arrested in connection with the scam that morning, prompting authorities to cancel the examination process.
The incident was the latest in a string of scams where key national exam questionnaires were leaked and paid for. At least a dozen recruitment drives across the state have been canceled since 2018 after the tests were leaked, just days and sometimes hours before the tests. Aspiring students say they are frustrated by delays and are starting to lose confidence in the hiring process.
