Despite disquiet in the streets and parliament, a sense of denial seems to drape the Narendra Modi government’s response to paper leaks across the country. 

For the last two months, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has at least thrice denied that there was any evidence of a paper leak in the controversial NEET-UG exam, going on to suggest that no paper was in fact leaked in the last seven years. This, despite the Supreme Court’s observation that there was a leak in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh and Bihar’s Patna. 

In parliament last week, Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar responded to three different questions – seeking details of paper leaks over various periods in the Rajya Sabha – saying data on specific incidents is “not maintained”. One was by IUML Rajya Sabha member Haris Beeran, another by Congress MPs Syed Naseer Hussain and Imran Pratapgarhi and TMC MP Prakash Chik Baraik, and a third query by Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam.

Could it be because of the government’s own record?

A Newslaundry analysis of suspected paper leaks – where a case was lodged or the exam was cancelled – suggests 89 separate cases documented in media reports over the last decade, impacting at least 6.5 crore candidates who had appeared in these exams, with 21 under the watch of central institutions when the BJP was in power at the centre.