A massive paper leak has rocked the recent Odisha Police sub-inspector recruitment exam. After what is being described as the state’s biggest such incident, the police have arrested 123 people so far, including 114 candidates.

Investigators say candidates had agreed to pay up to Rs 25 lakh to obtain the question paper – Rs 10 lakh up front and Rs 15 lakh after securing the job. The vacancy advertised was for 933 posts; police allege that roughly 300 of those posts had already been “set” through the racket.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a proposal to hand the case over to the CBI for further probe. But Odisha is no stranger to cancelled or compromised exams. From school tests to competitive recruitments, roughly two dozen examinations have been affected over time – some derailed by Covid, others by alleged irregularities.

We spoke to candidates, many of whom are furious and demanding concrete government action to safeguard the credibility of future exams.

Ashirbad Raut, a candidate preparing for the Odisha Police SI exam, said: “We worked day and night for this test. Now, after this episode, morale among students has collapsed.”

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