Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha has shattered the dreams of job aspirants due to the frequent cancellation of competitive examinations. Patnaik's comment follows the question paper leak of the Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) examination, which prompted authorities to cancel the test just a day prior.
"The dreams of lakhs of youths are being shattered due to frequent irregularities and cancellation of examinations. The state’s government has once again pushed thousands of aspirants' futures into darkness," Patnaik said in a post on X.
The Leader of the Opposition pressed the government, asking, "How many more children's dreams will be shattered? How many more futures will be destroyed? Exams are either being cancelled or postponed. This shows the BJP government's incompetence."
Patnaik claimed that 18 recruitment examinations have been cancelled in the 18 months since the BJP came to power in Odisha and sought clarification on the state government's intentions. "What does the government want to show? Will the hopes and dreams of the state's children continue to be crushed like this?” he asked.
The former Chief Minister suggested that the state government must ensure that all exams are conducted regularly with transparency.
Patnaik expressed his concerns a day after the issue of the ANM examination question paper leak rocked the state assembly, with members of both the BJD and the Congress creating a ruckus in the House.
Odisha’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling confirmed that the question paper-V of the second-year ANM course was leaked on social media hours before the examinations were due to commence. The tests were subsequently cancelled.
The Minister also stated that the Health and Family Welfare department has lodged an FIR with the Capital Police Station in Bhubaneswar over the paper leak, and a senior police officer confirmed that an investigation into the incident has begun.
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