Maharashtra bars contract staff from sensitive university exam duties after paper leaks

The Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Department has directed all public universities in the state to refrain from appointing contract staff in sensitive examination departments. This directive, issued on October 20, 2026, follows a meeting last week between Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and vice-chancellors of public universities.

The move aims to prevent paper leaks and malpractices, with universities and their affiliated colleges now required to fix responsibilities for examination-related work on designated university officers or permanent employees. This decision comes amidst a deepening examination crisis in India, marked by systemic failures and weak accountability, and follows several high-profile paper leaks in Maharashtra.

Measures to Enhance Accountability and Prevent Leaks

The state government’s directive mandates that all public universities and their affiliated colleges issue notifications clearly fixing examination responsibilities on permanent university officers or employees. This measure is intended to increase accountability and support action in the event of irregularities. The department emphasized that the directive applies broadly to ensure uniform implementation across the higher education system.

This policy shift follows incidents such as the Mumbai University final-year BCom paper leak, where a temporary staffer was found guilty of serious misconduct and later removed from service. The government is also developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for universities to prevent examination paper leaks, based on guidelines issued by the Union government for higher and technical education. Minister Patil has also asked vice-chancellors to meet 50 students every week, though the specific connection to exam security was not detailed in the facts.

Response to Recent Paper Leak Incidents

The new directives are a direct response to a series of examination paper leaks, most notably the postponement of the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) just a day before the exam. This incident affected approximately 600,000 candidates, leading to the cancellation of the TET by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination to protect its integrity.

Police uncovered a suspected leak in Bhiwandi, resulting in three arrests. The TET paper allegedly originated from an Agra printing press, Mahim Patran Pvt Ltd, where two employees and a former staffer reportedly smuggled out confidential examination material, concealed inside shoe insoles, between June 15 and 17. These employees were allegedly paid Rs 8,000 each. The racket was exposed on June 27, a day before the scheduled June 28 exam, with police recovering four sets of question papers from suspects in Kongaon. Thane City police have filed a chargesheet naming 18 accused, including alleged mastermind Bijendra Gupta, with 16 arrests made in the case.

Broader Reforms and Legislative Actions

The Maharashtra government is also looking at broader reforms to tighten the examination system. On August 12, 2026, a high-level panel was formed to study the Union government’s anti-paper leak law and similar legislation in other states, despite Maharashtra already having its own law on paper leaks. Chief Minister Fadnavis has directed officials to extend the more stringent central legislation to the state within a fortnight.

The Union government amended the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in July 2026, following nationwide student protests over the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak. This central law provides for five to 10 years’ imprisonment for individuals and organised networks involved in paper leaks, with penalties of Rs 50 lakh for individuals and up to Rs 10 crore for organised syndicates or service providers. Also, authorities have been directed to establish at least 25,000 secure classrooms across Maharashtra for recruitment examinations, and discussions have been held to define the roles of district collectors, police commissioners, superintendents of police, and senior Education Department officials in key examinations.

Future Adoption of Central Recommendations and Technology

The Maharashtra government plans to adopt recommendations from the Nandan Nilekani-led central task force on exam reforms once its report is released. These recommendations are slated for implementation across all state-level competitive examinations, particularly computer-based ones. This initiative aims to enhance the integrity and security of the examination system in Maharashtra.

A key recommendation under consideration involves relying on blockchain technology to secure academically important certificates of students in the state, thereby preventing forgery. Directions have already been issued to formulate a policy regarding rolling out this blockchain technology. This move underscores a broader effort to use advanced technological solutions for greater security and accountability in the education sector.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →

Further reading

• Maharashtra SSC 10th mid-term question paper 2026-27 PDF download expected in October
• NEET paper leaks: Nilekani suggests last-minute question papers, expanded computer tests