Uttarakhand Competitive Examination Paper Leak Case

In February 2025, the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission's (UKPSC) Provincial Civil Services preliminary examination paper was leaked days before the scheduled test. Police arrested UKPSC secretary Saurabh Swaroop, printing press owner Ravi Kumar, and former UKPSC employee Sanjay Gupta for conspiring to sell the leaked paper to candidates for large sums of money. The leak forced the cancellation of the examination, affecting thousands of aspiring job seekers. The case exposed severe lapses in examination security and internal oversight, triggering a massive outcry across the northern Indian state.

Several high-profile arrests were made, including the UKPSC secretary; the scheduled PCS prelims examination was cancelled; a Special Investigation Team is probing the wider conspiracy. The case is pending trial.

Whether top officials within the recruiting body actively facilitated the paper leak, the extent of the organized criminal network, and the failure of institutional safeguards to protect the integrity of the competitive examination.

The scandal sparked massive protests by unemployed youth and job aspirants, severely eroded public trust in the state's recruitment processes, and led to intense demands for stringent anti-paper leak legislation and adoption of secure digital examination systems.