Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University in Dehradun has cancelled examinations in two subjects following a confirmed question paper leak. The decision affects students appearing for even semester papers in the 2025-26 academic session. The university ordered fresh examinations for Machine Learning for Internet of Things with subject code IOTT004 and Electromagnetic Field Theory with subject code ECT043. Re-examinations are now scheduled for the third week of August with detailed date sheets and centre lists to be released separately on the official website.
An external question paper setter Ashish Kumar Gupta who serves as Assistant Professor at Shivalik College of Engineering Dehradun allegedly shared the questions with students before the exams. He reportedly uploaded the same questions on the institute internal portal and circulated them via WhatsApp groups. A complaint regarding the Machine Learning paper prompted the Vice-Chancellor to constitute a high-level inquiry committee. Shivalik College also conducted its own internal probe. Both investigations confirmed the breach of confidentiality. The university described the incident as a serious violation of examination integrity and academic standards. It also identified a strong possibility of similar discrepancies in the Electromagnetic Field Theory paper which Gupta had prepared.
In response the university has barred Ashish Kumar Gupta from any examination related work for the institution for the next seven years with immediate effect. It issued a strong warning to Shivalik College of Engineering for failing to maintain adequate monitoring and control mechanisms. Affiliated institutions must now immediately inform all concerned students about the cancellation and re-examination schedule and upload the order on their websites.
This latest scandal comes at a time when students across the country continue to protest massive irregularities in the NEET examinations. The recurring pattern of paper leaks and compromised entrance tests under BJP ruled states highlights a systemic collapse in the education ecosystem. In Uttarakhand, a BJP governed state, the technical university fiasco mirrors the chaos that forced nationwide outrage over NEET. Students who prepare for months and often years find their hard work nullified by leaks and administrative lapses. The BJP government at the centre and in states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh has consistently promised reforms yet leaks persist while students bear the brunt through cancelled exams delayed careers and mounting stress.
The Uttarakhand case adds fuel to ongoing NEET protests where aspirants demand accountability and systemic overhaul. Instead of robust anti-leak mechanisms and swift justice the response remains limited to post-facto cancellations and inquiries. Students from middle class and rural backgrounds suffer the most as they lack resources to absorb repeated disruptions. This reflects a broader indifference under BJP governance where education policies favour optics over genuine student welfare. From NEET controversies to state level technical university failures the ruling dispensation has failed to protect the aspirations of millions.
Such incidents erode trust in public institutions and push talented youth towards despair or migration. The government must move beyond statements and implement foolproof digital security transparent paper setting processes and stringent penalties for violators. Until then students will continue paying the price for governance failures.
