‘BJP will lose seats due to this’, ‘what can govt do?’: In UP exam hub, differing views on paper leaks as a poll issue

The Katra area of Prayagrag in Uttar Pradesh is lined with libraries and coaching centres. In the searing heat, hundreds of students line up at tea stalls, bookstores, or juice kiosks, their backpacks straining under the weight of books.

These students have travelled from across Uttar Pradesh to prepare for competitive examinations, with the hope of securing a government job. But for many among them, their hopes and dreams have been dashed by paper leaks, the most recent in February when the UP Police constable recruitment exam question paper allegedly got leaked and was circulated on social media the same day. A total of 48 lakh candidates had registered for the exam to fill 60,244 constable positions. The UP government ordered a retest but the date has not been announced yet.

In February 2023, the question paper for the Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer preliminary examination got leaked, resulting in its cancellation.

Paper leaks have become one of the poll issues that Opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav have raised while campaigning, hoping to strike a chord with the youth. The Congress in its manifesto has promised fast-track courts to adjudicate cases related to question paper leaks and provide monetary compensation to victims. In February, The Indian Express published an investigation after going through 41 documented instances of leaks in the last five years in recruitment exams across 15 states — their governments cutting across party lines.

In the busy lanes of Katra, The Indian Express tracked down 10 aspirants who had appeared for the constable recruitment exam to ask if question paper leaks were an election issue for them. While some said no, others said it was the government’s