TEST OF TRUST

Government battles fallout from controversy over question paper leaks, as hundreds of people have been arrested and crores of rupees seized

- SONI MISHRA

Prem Chaudhary, 25, of Barmer district took the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) in September 2021. He did well and had high hopes of being employed in a government school. His hopes were soon dashed, as news broke that the question paper was leaked to certain candidates. The exam was subsequently cancelled.

For Chaudhary, who hails from a family of farmers in western Rajasthan, the paper leak controversy was a huge setback. He had lived for year in a hostel in Jaipur to attend a coaching centre. The preparations had cost him around ₹2 lakh, a sum his parents raised with great difficulty.

“All the effort and investment went up in smoke,” he said. “I sat for the re-exam this February, and the final result is still not out.”

For Rakesh Kumar, 38, REET 2021 was a last-ditch attempt at rescuing himself and his family of landless farmers in Alwar district from their bleak agrarian existence. Kumar said completing school and college education was in itself a tall order. He had for years been appearing in recruitment exams.

“The paper leak in 2021 felt like the end of the road for me. I am nearing 40 and will have to soon [stop taking exams because of the age limit]. I did sit for the re-exam— perhaps my last chance,” he said.