Punjab Government Embroiled in Exam Paper Leak Controversy

CHANDIGARH: Against the backdrop of the nationwide debate over exam paper leaks, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government has been grappling with its own controversy following the Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination for 454 posts conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. As opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, claimed that the state witnessed six major paper leak or examination malpractice incidents since 2022, citing recruitment and board examinations, they demanded the resignation of state School and Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister last week over the NEET paper leak controversy. On the other hand, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that not a single competitive examination paper has been leaked during his government's tenure. The demand for Bains' resignation and that of other ministers under whose departments the controversial exams were held was raised by opposition parties after senior party leader and Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia said at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, “If any paper leak happens in Punjab, we will immediately sack the minister.” The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday appealed to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and briefed him regarding the ten paper leaks and irregularities in government recruitments. It informed the Governor that an impression had gained ground that examination leaks were occurring in connivance with senior functionaries in the AAP government and that this was a case of a jobs-for-money racket being run by an organised criminal network.