Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy called for strict punishment for those responsible for question paper leaks and urged the Centre to frame a national policy to prevent such incidents.
The Chief Minister spoke to the media after meeting Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. During the interaction, he said online examinations had largely avoided major problems. He added that issues mainly arose when authorities conducted examinations offline.
Revanth Reddy alleged that coaching centres were mushrooming across the country without proper approval. According to him, some of these centres had become platforms for question paper leaks.
He said the Centre should formulate a nationwide policy to address the issue. Meanwhile, he urged the Union government to stop attempts to exercise control over universities.
Question paper leaks and education reforms
The Chief Minister urged the Centre to leave education largely under the jurisdiction of states. Therefore, he said Parliament should hold a detailed discussion on the issue.
Revanth Reddy said Telangana had reformed the Telangana Public Service Commission on the lines of the UPSC. As a result, the government conducted recruitment examinations transparently while protecting students’ interests and restoring public confidence.
He criticised firms such as Globarena, alleging that earlier failures to act against irregularities had allowed them to extend their operations to CBSE examinations. Consequently, he called for strict action against such organisations.
On fee reimbursement, the Chief Minister said a Vigilance and Enforcement inquiry was in progress. He said pending dues from the previous government had created a financial burden. However, the government was working to resolve all pending issues.
He said Telangana required between ₹2,200 crore and ₹2,400 crore every year for fee reimbursement. Furthermore, the government planned to clear payments regularly. It would deposit future fee reimbursement directly into bank accounts during the same academic year.
Responding to a question on HYDRA, Revanth Reddy said the government was clear about the agency’s mandate and responsibilities. Finally, he said the government would examine the High Court’s directions, respect the court’s orders and continue HYDRA’s work.