Maharashtra Minister of School Education Dadaji Bhuse on Monday, 29 June 2026, announced a sweeping set of reforms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly following the high-profile paper leak in the Maharashtra State Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026, affecting over six lakh candidates. The measures include a free rescheduled examination, a full transition to online testing, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into an organised syndicate that allegedly attempted to sell leaked question papers for sums as high as ₹1.5 crore.

What the Government Announced

Minister Bhuse told the Assembly that a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will be constituted starting next year to oversee the deployment of secure digital infrastructure, with the goal of transitioning TET and all other state competitive examinations to a fully online format.

Addressing the financial burden on affected students, he confirmed that the rescheduled TET-2026 examination will carry zero examination or re-registration fees of any kind. 'A fresh, rescheduled TET-2026 examination will be organised in a strictly disciplined, highly secure and completely transparent manner. To ensure candidates face no financial penalties for system failures, no examination or re-registration fees of any kind will be charged to candidates appearing for the rescheduled test,' Bhuse said.

How the Leak Was Uncovered

Acting on credible intelligence received on 27 June 2026, the Thane City Police laid a strategic trap after learning that an organised syndicate was planning to sell leaked question papers ahead of the examination scheduled for 28 June 2026. The operation led to the arrest of three individuals, including the primary accused, Rajiv Shriprayag Shaw, and two accomplices.

Authorities recovered authentic copies of the question papers from the accused. Senior officials from the Education Department verified the seized material and confirmed the documents were identical to the genuine papers prepared for the examination. This triggered an immediate postponement of the test across 1,728 centres.

A formal case — C.R. No. 281/2026 — has been registered at Kongaon Police Station under the Thane City Police Commissionerate. The accused were formally arrested on 27 June 2026 and remain in police custody. They have been booked under the newly enacted Central penal code as well as state anti-malpractice laws.

SIT Formed, MCOCA Being Explored

Recognising the interstate scale of the operation, the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, constituted a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Thane City. Multiple specialised raid teams have been dispatched across state lines to dismantle the wider network and capture the alleged mastermind.

Minister Bhuse also told the Assembly that legal options are being explored to amend or apply the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against those found guilty of masterminding competitive examination leaks.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had earlier on Saturday stated that the state government is planning to invoke MCOCA against the masterminds, adding that he would hold a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to implement the decision. Shinde described the paper leak as no longer merely a financial malpractice but a form of serious, structured organised crime, and reiterated the government's stated policy of 'zero tolerance' towards corruption.

Impact on Candidates and What Comes Next

The leak has disrupted the academic plans of over six lakh candidates who had registered for TET-2026. The rescheduled examination date is yet to be announced, but the government has assured a fully transparent process. The transition to online examinations — if implemented on schedule — would mark a structural shift in how Maharashtra conducts large-scale public competitive tests, a reform that has been under discussion for years but has repeatedly stalled.

With the SIT probe now active across state lines and MCOCA provisions under consideration, the case is likely to widen significantly in the coming weeks.