UP exam cancelled over paper leak, Yogi says will invoke NSA
LUCKNOW: The UPTET scheduled to be held on Sunday was cancelled after a question paper for the exam was leaked, an officer here announced shortly before the exam was to begin.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested 23 people last night using technical and other intelligence from different cities of the state, additional director general law and Order Prashant Kumar said here.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the culprits will be booked under the National Security Act and Gangster Act. He also ordered reconvening of the exam within a month.
“A question paper was leaked. I issued an order to cancel the examination and arrest the entire racket. Instructions were also given to conduct the exam within a month, and that no candidate should be charged additional fee,” he said addressing a function in Deoria district on Sunday.
He said orders were given to transport the students back to their home towns in UPSRTC buses free of cost on the basis of their admit cards.
“Those who have committed this act should listen that cases will be registered against them under the Gangster Act and the National Security Act,” he said.
Later in a tweet in Hindi, the CM said properties will be seized by the government of those involved in the leak.
Close to 20 lakh candidates were to appear for the Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (UPTET) on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, the ADG said that those arrested included four from Lucknow, 13 from Prayagraj, three by the Meerut STF and one from Kaushambi district.
“A photocopy of the question paper was obtained from them, which was shared with the government. It came to light that the copy bore the same set of questions as did the official question paper,” he said.
“Immediately it was decided by the government that the exam needs to be cancelled and reconvened in the coming one month. All expenses for the exam will be borne by the government. The candidates will not have to pay the fees or fill the examination form,” he added.
The officer said the matter will be probed by the UP STF, and people involved in the leak will not be spared. The question paper of the examination had not reached the examination centres till Sunday morning.
Items seized from accused included mobile phones and photocopy of question papers.
“Apart from UP, some people of Bihar have also been caught in this matter. Either the solver gang leaks the question paper, or a solver (person impersonating the candidate) appears instead of the candidate,” Kumar said.