Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) The Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) on Saturday abruptly cancelled the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, which was scheduled to be held on Sunday. The decision comes after a joint raid by the Bhiwandi Police exposed a major question paper leak just a day before the statewide examination.  

The exam was set to take place across 1,028 centres in Maharashtra. Council officials stated that the postponement was necessary to maintain absolute transparency and fairness for all candidates. The postponement of TET has thrown the future of over 428,122 candidates in limbo and sparked widespread outrage across the state.

According to an official release, Intelligence agencies received confidential information in the early hours of Saturday indicating that a group of individuals in Bhiwandi (Thane district) had unauthorised access to the TET question papers.

Acting swiftly on the tip-off, a team from the Bhiwandi Police Department raided the location. During the operation, law enforcement personnel detained several suspects and seized incriminating materials.

Senior officials from the MSCE were immediately summoned to the spot by the police to verify the seized documents.

Upon a detailed cross-examination, officials discovered a definitive match as the questions found in the possession of the detained individuals were identical to the questions drafted for the actual June 2026 Teacher Eligibility Test.

Following the confirmation of the breach, an official First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Bhiwandi Police Station against the accused individuals. Taking a serious note of the security lapse, the MSCE decided to call off Sunday's exam to ensure a thorough, comprehensive probe.

The Education Department and Thane Police have launched a high-level joint investigation to trace the mastermind behind the leak, map out how the security protocol was breached, and determine if any internal Board officials were involved.

The MSCE has assured candidates that a fresh date for the Maharashtra TET 2026 will be finalised soon. All updates regarding the rescheduled examination dates and revised guidelines will be published directly on the official website of the Maharashtra State Council of Examinations.

An extensive investigation is currently underway to identify the mastermind behind the leak and determine if any internal network or printing press was compromised, said the MSCE release.

The MAHA TET is a mandatory benchmark for candidates aspiring to teach in primary (Classes 1–5) and upper primary (Classes 6–8) schools across Maharashtra.

A total of 4,28,122 candidates had registered to take the exam in two separate sessions across the state. Many applicants had already travelled long distances to reach their designated exam centres, only to be met with the news of the sudden cancellation.

The cancellation has led to massive frustration among aspirants, drawing sharp parallels to recent nationwide controversies surrounding the NEET and UGC-NET paper leaks.

Candidates are demanding stricter implementation of anti-paper leak laws and immediate accountability from the education department.

--IANS