Punjab pharmacy exam paper leak: BJP demands minister resignations, AAP faces sixth scandal
Synopsis
Punjab's AAP government is facing its alleged sixth examination scandal after the Pharmacy Officer Recruitment paper was reportedly scanned, transmitted, and solved outside the exam hall on 19 July — even as authorities had prior intelligence about electronic devices. With the BJP demanding two ministerial resignations and the Akali Dal pointing to FIR discrepancies that contradict the Chief Minister's account, the political fallout is accelerating.
Key Takeaways
The Punjab Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination held on 19 July for 454 posts was compromised, with 7,000 candidates affected.
BJP State General Secretary Anil Sarin alleged the paper was scanned inside the centre, solved externally, and answers relayed via Bluetooth devices .
Authorities reportedly had prior intelligence about electronic devices but failed to deploy adequate jammers.
The BJP called this the sixth examination controversy under the AAP government and demanded resignations of Health Minister Balbir Singh and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains .
SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal alleged the FIR shows no scanner pen was seized — contradicting the Chief Minister's public claim and suggesting the paper was leaked in advance.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab on Monday, 27 July accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of systematically failing to safeguard the integrity of government recruitment examinations, calling the latest Punjab Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination paper leak the sixth such controversy under the current administration. The opposition's broadside came after the exam, held on 19 July for 454 posts with 7,000 candidates appearing, was compromised by an organised cheating operation.
How the Paper Was Leaked
According to BJP State General Secretary Anil Sarin, the question paper was scanned inside the examination centre, transmitted to handlers outside, solved, and the answers relayed back to candidates through Bluetooth devices. The method exposed what Sarin described as a serious and premeditated security failure. He noted that the Registrar had himself acknowledged that authorities possessed prior intelligence about the possible use of such electronic devices at the venue.
Despite this advance warning, the government reportedly failed to deploy adequate signal jammers or put in place preventive measures — a lapse Sarin said raised questions about both the administration's intent and its competence.
A Pattern of Examination Failures, BJP Alleges
The BJP framed the pharmacy exam leak not as an isolated incident but as part of a recurring pattern. Sarin cited five earlier controversies allegedly under the AAP government's watch: the Naib Tehsildar examination irregularities, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class XII English paper leak, the PSTET controversy, Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSB) recruitment irregularities, and other reported scandals.
Notably, the BJP invoked the AAP's own political record, pointing out that national leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia had previously demanded ministerial resignations over examination irregularities in other states. Sarin argued the same standard of accountability must now apply in Punjab.
BJP Demands Resignations of Two Ministers
The party formally demanded the immediate resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, holding both morally accountable for the repeated failures in government recruitment processes. No response from either minister was available at the time of publication.
Akali Dal Alleges Cover-Up, Points to FIR Discrepancy
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal separately accused Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP of launching a cover-up exercise. She pointed to what she called a critical discrepancy between the Chief Minister's public claims and the contents of the First Information Report (FIR) registered in the case.
'The truth is that the examination paper was leaked in advance. As can be seen in the FIR, no scanner pen was seized from the centre. The FIR only lists the seizure of Bluetooth devices along with headphones. This means the paper was leaked in advance and the answers were being relayed to students through Bluetooth devices,' Badal asserted.
Her remarks suggest the cheating network operated through pre-distributed answer sheets rather than real-time scanning — a distinction that, if accurate, would indicate a wider conspiracy than initially acknowledged by the government.
What Comes Next
The AAP government is yet to announce whether the 19 July examination will be cancelled or re-conducted for the affected candidates. With opposition pressure mounting from both the BJP and the SAD, and an FIR already registered, scrutiny of the Punjab administration's handling of competitive examinations is set to intensify in the coming days.
Point of View
According to the opposition, contradicts the Chief Minister's own account. The prior-intelligence detail is the most corrosive element: if authorities knew electronic devices were likely to be used and still failed to jam signals, the failure is not administrative incompetence alone — it invites harder questions about intent. The BJP's invocation of Kejriwal and Sisodia's own past demands for resignations is a sharp political trap, and one the AAP will struggle to escape without a credible, independent inquiry.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Punjab Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination?
The examination held on 19 July for 454 posts was compromised when the question paper was allegedly scanned inside the exam centre, transmitted outside, solved, and answers relayed back to candidates via Bluetooth devices. Approximately 7,000 candidates had appeared for the exam.
Why is the BJP calling this the sixth examination controversy under AAP?
BJP State General Secretary Anil Sarin cited five earlier incidents — including the Naib Tehsildar exam irregularities, the PSEB Class XII English paper leak, the PSTET controversy, and PSSSB recruitment irregularities — making the pharmacy exam leak the sixth alleged scandal under the current AAP administration in Punjab.
Which ministers has the BJP demanded should resign?
The BJP has demanded the immediate resignation of Health Minister Balbir Singh and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, holding both morally accountable for the repeated failures in government recruitment examinations.
What discrepancy did Harsimrat Kaur Badal highlight in the FIR?
SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal alleged that the FIR registered in the case records no seizure of a scanner pen — contradicting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's public claim. The FIR reportedly lists only Bluetooth devices and headphones, suggesting the paper was leaked in advance rather than scanned in real time.
What action has the Punjab government taken so far?
An FIR has been registered in connection with the paper leak. However, as of the time of reporting, the AAP government had not announced whether the 19 July examination would be cancelled or re-conducted for the affected candidates.
