Thane, 27 June

The Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE) on Saturday cancelled the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, scheduled for Sunday, after a police raid in Bhiwandi, Thane district, uncovered a significant question paper leak just a day before the exam.

The statewide test, to have been held at 1,028 centres for 4,28,122 registered candidates, was called off to preserve fairness and transparency, MSCE officials said. The sudden postponement left candidates, many of whom had travelled long distances, in limbo and sparked widespread outrage across the state.

According to officials, intelligence agencies received information in the early hours of Saturday that a group of individuals in Bhiwandi had unauthorised access to the TET question papers. Acting on the tip-off, Bhiwandi Police raided the location, detained several suspects and seized material. MSCE officials were summoned to verify the seized documents, and a cross-check found that the recovered questions matched the actual June 2026 TET paper.

An FIR has been registered at Bhiwandi Police Station against the accused individuals. A high-level joint investigation by the Education Department and Thane Police is now underway to trace those behind the leak, identify security lapses, and ascertain whether any board insiders or printing presses were involved.

The MSCE said it remains committed to conducting the examination with complete transparency and decided to postpone the test given the gravity of the situation and the need for an in-depth probe. The council has urged candidates not to rely on rumours and said a fresh exam date, along with updated guidelines, will be announced soon on its official website.

The MAHA TET is mandatory for candidates seeking eligibility to teach in primary (Classes 1-5) and upper primary (Classes 6-8) schools in Maharashtra. More than 4.28 lakh candidates, including working teachers, had registered for the exam this year, accounting for over six lakh applications across its two papers.

The episode comes amid renewed concerns over the security of competitive examinations in the country, following the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Aspirants have demanded stricter enforcement of anti-paper-leak laws and accountability from education authorities, drawing parallels with recent national exam controversies.