Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the problem of paper leaks has assumed the proportions of an epidemic across the country. He alleged that the BJP has turned Haryana into a hub of paper leaks.
Hooda said the Congress, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, is spearheading a nationwide movement through the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Voice of Students) campaign.
He claimed that 7.5 crore candidates have been affected so far due to recurring paper leaks under the BJP government. According to him, the issue is not limited to competitive examinations, as paper leaks have occurred across various recruitment exams as well. He further alleged that the unemployment situation is so severe that 9 crore youths apply for just 6 lakh jobs annually.
Hooda said the Congress is taking the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign across the country to raise public awareness about the issue under the slogan, "Save Education, Save the Future."
Addressing a press conference, Hooda alleged that Haryana has become a hub of paper leaks and that the employment situation in the state is even worse.
"For Group A and Group B positions, preference is given to candidates from other states over those from Haryana. Furthermore, posts are deliberately left vacant to deprive Haryana youth of employment opportunities," he said. He further alleged that the government has "weaponised" the 35 per cent qualifying criteria to leave vacancies unfilled.
"Amidst these conspiracies and irregularities, even when recruitment does take place, issues such as paper leaks or errors in the question papers invariably surface," he added.
Listing alleged instances of paper leaks during the BJP government's tenure in Haryana, Hooda claimed there had been more than 30 such cases. These include HCS (2023), CET (2023), SI recruitment (March 2022), Dental Surgeon (December 2021), PGI Rohtak examination (2025), Police Constable recruitment (August 2021), Gram Sachiv recruitment (January 12, 2021), Clerk recruitment (December 2016), Electricity Department Clerk recruitment, Excise Inspector (December 2016), Agriculture Inspector (July 2017), Conductor recruitment (September 2017), ITI Instructor recruitment, Excise Inspector, Naib Tehsildar recruitment, PTI recruitment, HTET (November 2015), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Primary Teacher recruitment (October 2015), Assistant Professor (College) recruitment scam (February 2017), B-Pharmacy paper leak scam (July 2017), HBSE Board Class 10 and 12 paper leak (2025), and HTET 2026, where unsealed question papers were allegedly distributed, raising suspicions of a paper leak.
Hooda further claimed that more than 152 paper leaks have taken place across the country.
"A racket trading in exam papers and jobs is active nationwide, including in Haryana. The problem has become so severe that it is proving fatal as 26 candidates across the country have committed suicide due to distress caused by the NEET paper leak alone," he said.
He also alleged that there have been numerous complaints regarding the NEET re-examination, but the government has remained indifferent to the issue. Hooda demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan take responsibility and resign immediately.
The Haryana Leader of the Opposition also objected to the alleged forcible removal of Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar, describing it as an authoritarian approach by the government.
"Everyone has the right to peacefully voice their demands. Forcibly removing him instead of listening to his concerns is condemnable," he said.
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