Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, 28 July called on the Centre to impose stringent punishment on those behind exam paper leaks and urged the framing of a national-level policy to tackle the crisis. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Revanth Reddy argued that the recurring leaks have shaken student confidence in competitive examinations across the country.

Online Exams and the Coaching Centre Problem

The Chief Minister advocated shifting competitive exams to an online format, contending that offline examinations create more opportunities for malpractice. He also trained his sights on the unchecked proliferation of coaching centres, alleging that unauthorised institutions have turned into conduits for question paper leaks. He called for stern regulatory action against such organisations.

Revanth Reddy specifically criticised the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for failing to act against Globarena, a company he alleged had committed irregularities. He claimed that this inaction allowed the agency to extend its operations to CBSE examinations, compounding hardships for students nationwide.

State Autonomy in Education

The Chief Minister strongly objected to what he described as the Union government's growing encroachment on university functioning in states. He argued that education must remain within the domain of state governments to reduce administrative errors and called for the issue to be debated in Parliament.

On the question of Telangana's own legislative response, Revanth Reddy said the state would finalise its course of action on paper leak prevention only after reviewing the legislation being formulated by the Central government.

Telangana's Reforms and TSPSC Restructuring

Revanth Reddy highlighted that his government had restructured the Telangana Public Service Commission (TSPSC) along the lines of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to bring greater transparency and accountability to competitive exam conduct. He stressed that exams must be held in a manner that instils trust among students and ensures no candidate is placed at a disadvantage.

Fee Reimbursement Row and Political Blame Game

The Chief Minister also addressed the contentious issue of pending fee reimbursements, disclosing that the previous BRS government had left behind outstanding dues of ₹8,000 crore. He said a Vigilance and Enforcement probe is currently under way against institutions attempting to claim reimbursements using fabricated figures and without adequate facilities.

Revanth Reddy pushed back against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for alleging that his government was withholding pending bills, calling the charge misleading. He suggested that Union Minister Kishan Reddy, BJP state unit president N. Ramachander Rao, and MP R. Krishnaiah first ensure 100 per cent fee reimbursement in Andhra Pradesh — where the BJP-TDP alliance is in power — before making demands in Telangana.

The Chief Minister announced that going forward, fee amounts for each academic year would be disbursed in full within that same year, with funds deposited directly into bank accounts in advance. He said the state requires between ₹2,200 crore and ₹2,400 crore annually for fee reimbursements and assured that a payment plan is in place to prevent future delays.