New Delhi: A political confrontation has erupted in Punjab over allegations of examination irregularities, with the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding the resignation of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains following the exit of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has firmly denied the allegations, insisting that no examination paper has been leaked during the Aam Aadmi Party’s four and a half years in power.
The BJP questioned why the Punjab Education Minister had not stepped down, alleging several instances of paper leaks and recruitment irregularities under the state government. The party referred to alleged controversies surrounding the Punjab School Education Board Class 12 English examination, the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test, the Agriculture Development Officer examination, and recruitment conducted by the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board. It also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in Naib Tehsildar and Pharmacy Officer recruitment examinations, as well as claims of fake names appearing in an Excise and Taxation Inspector merit list.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also joined the attack, alleging that six major paper leaks had taken place over the past four years. He questioned why no accountability had been fixed despite repeated controversies, saying Punjab’s students deserved answers and a transparent examination system.
Rejecting the allegations, Bhagwant Mann said there had not been a single paper leak in Punjab since his government assumed office. He acknowledged that cheating attempts were detected at two examination centres but maintained that these incidents did not involve leaked question papers. According to the Chief Minister, authorities acted within minutes to stop the malpractice and initiated action against those involved in cheating networks.
AAP leader Baltej Pannu also dismissed the allegations as misleading. He said one of the reported incidents involved candidates using electronic gadgets during an examination, but insisted that the question paper itself had not been leaked. He accused the BJP and the Congress of deliberately portraying isolated cheating cases as paper leaks to divert attention from controversies during their own tenures.
The political row comes in the aftermath of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister following nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak controversy. The Centre has since handed charge of the Education Ministry to Pralhad Joshi while announcing a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the integrity and transparency of India’s examination system.
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