CUTTACK: Uncertainty looms over the conduct of the rescheduled Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) as all three sets of question papers prepared by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) are suspected to have been leaked.
According to reports, the BSE follows a practice of preparing and printing three different sets of question papers for each examination, keeping the other sets in reserve in case one is compromised. For the Special OTET-2025, scheduled on July 20, three sets were prepared and printed. However, hours before the exam, BSE postponed it due to a question paper leak.
On August 1, the board rescheduled the test to August 31. But now, it has reportedly written to the School and Mass Education (SME) department, expressing its inability to conduct the exam due to a shortage of manpower and time constraint.
In the letter, the board stated that conducting the exam within such a short period would not be feasible, even with additional manpower. Sources, though, said the real reason is the fear of paper leak.
All three sets of question papers sent to the board by the printing company for proofreading before final printing earlier are suspected to have been leaked. Given the circumstances, preparing and printing fresh question papers within the short time-frame appears unlikely.
The uncertainty has triggered anger among candidates seeking regularisation of their service through the exam. “We filled up the forms online, each paying Rs 900, but due to the negligence of BSE and the actions of some unscrupulous persons, our future is being pushed into darkness,” some candidates said.
BSE president Srikant Tarai declined to comment on the alleged leak of all three sets or the letter to the SME Department. “The board will conduct the Special OTET examination. If the examination is further rescheduled, it will be notified,” he said.