Uttarakhand service selection board requests police probe into exam paper leak

The Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) has asked the police to investigate the alleged leak of a graduate-level recruitment exam paper. The development has sparked a fresh political row, with the Congress accusing the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government of failing to curb the growing menace of exam leaks despite enacting a strict anti-cheating law.

According to the commission, only three pages of the question paper were leaked from one exam centre. But the matter has raised serious concerns about how this happened, especially when mobile jammers had been installed at all centres. UKSSSC chairman Ganesh Singh Martolia said the commission has written to the Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Special Task Force (STF), urging them to start an immediate probe. An internal inquiry has also been ordered to find out which centre was responsible for the leak.

Commission seeks police action after paper pages leaked

UKSSSC chairman Martolia explained the situation to reporters, saying, “This is not a case of the entire paper leak. Only three pages of the paper have been leaked from a centre. If they were leaked, then there is a possibility they may have been taken elsewhere or solved by someone.”

He admitted that the commission was surprised by how the pages still managed to come out, despite mobile jammers being placed in all centres. Martolia said a detailed investigation was necessary to find out the loophole that allowed this to happen. “We have requested both the SSP of Dehradun and the STF to look into this urgently. At the same time, our internal inquiry is also in progress,” he added.

Meanwhile, the police have already made arrests linked to exam malpractices. On Saturday, police arrested two people – Hakam Singh from Uttarkashi and his associate Pankaj Gaur – for allegedly offering to help aspirants clear the exam in exchange for huge sums of money. Reports suggest they were demanding between ₹12 and ₹15 lakh from candidates. Singh is a repeat offender who had been arrested earlier for similar crimes, raising questions about why the paper mafia remains so active despite tough laws.

The arrests, along with the new allegations of leaked pages, have once again highlighted the larger issue of corruption in recruitment exams in Uttarakhand. For job seekers, especially the youth who have been waiting for secure government positions, such scandals have become a recurring nightmare.

Congress blames Dhami government, calls law ineffective

The opposition Congress has launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP government in the state. Uttarakhand Congress president Karan Mahara said the government had completely failed to stop the paper leak mafia, despite claiming to have the strictest law in the country to prevent exam cheating.

“This is yet another betrayal by the Dhami government of the youth of Uttarakhand, who have been waiting for jobs for years,” Mahara said in a statement. He accused the government of making tall promises but delivering nothing on the ground.

He reminded people that the state government had introduced the Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Prevention and Control of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Act, which was presented as India’s strongest anti-cheating law. “But all those claims have turned out to be hollow. Paper leaks are continuing, and the mafia is still active. It shows that the government is not serious about protecting the future of the youth,” Mahara said.

The Congress leader went further to allege that the government may be protecting influential people involved in the leaks. He claimed that senior leaders and high-ranking officials could be playing a role, but the government was unwilling to act against them. “The mafia is still operating openly, while the government sits inactive. Congress will fight at every level to defend the interests of the youth,” he said.

The bigger issue: job hopes shattered by repeated leaks

For many years, recruitment exams in Uttarakhand have been hit by repeated allegations of paper leaks and corrupt practices. Each time such a scandal surfaces, it shakes the confidence of thousands of aspirants who spend years preparing for government jobs. For them, every leak not only means unfair competition but also delays in their recruitment process, adding to their frustration.

Despite enacting a special anti-cheating law, the Dhami government has not been able to fully solve the problem. In fact, critics argue that the recurrence of leaks shows that strict laws alone are not enough unless they are enforced effectively.

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Experts believe that there is a need for stronger monitoring at exam centres, better technology to prevent leaks, and harsh punishment for repeat offenders. Unless this happens, the credibility of recruitment exams in Uttarakhand will remain in doubt.

For now, the police probe into the leaked pages will be closely watched. Both the STF and local police have been tasked with finding out how the pages were taken out, who benefited from them, and whether there was a bigger network involved. At the same time, the political battle between the BJP and Congress over this issue is expected to intensify.

As thousands of young aspirants look on anxiously, the outcome of the investigations and the government’s response will decide whether their trust in the system can be restored or not.