31 July, 2026 – Chandigarh : Against the backdrop of the nationwide debate over exam paper leaks, Punjab has been grappling with its own controversy following the July 19 Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination for 454 posts conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.
Punjab Police busted an alleged inter-state cheating racket, recovering pen cameras, Bluetooth earpieces and other electronic devices. Police maintained there was no evidence of the question paper leaking before the examination, describing it instead as a real-time technology-enabled cheating operation in which candidates allegedly transmitted questions after the exam began.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that “not a single competitive examination paper has been leaked” during his government’s tenure. However, Opposition parties, including the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, along with Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, claimed Punjab has witnessed six major paper leak or examination malpractice incidents since 2022, citing recruitment and board examinations.
Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Exam
July 19, 2026
Recruitment for 454 Pharmacy Officer posts conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS).
Nearly 7,000 candidates appeared.
Punjab Police busted an alleged inter-state cheating racket during the examination.
Police recovered hidden pen cameras, Bluetooth earpieces and wireless communication devices.
Investigation found candidates allegedly photographed question papers after the exam had begun and transmitted them outside for answers.
Punjab Police position
“There was no evidence of a question paper leak before the examination.”
Police termed it a real-time cheating racket, not a pre-exam paper leak.
Punjab Police have maintained that the question paper was not leaked before the examination and have described the incident as a technology-enabled cheating racket operating in real time.
Opposition alleges multiple paper leaks
Following the pharmacy exam controversy, Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal allegedly claimed Punjab had witnessed at least six paper leak or examination malpractice incidents since the AAP government came to power in 2022.
Bhagwant Mann’s statement
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said: “Not a single competitive examination paper has been leaked during the last four-and-a-half years.”
He rejected allegations that Punjab had witnessed paper leaks during his tenure.
Swati Maliwal attacks Punjab government
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said:
“There have been six major paper leaks in Punjab over the past five years.”
She demanded resignation of Punjab’s Education Minister and criticised the AAP leadership over the issue.
The six incidents cited by Opposition
According to opposition parties and media reports, these include:
Naib Tehsildar recruitment examination (2022) — dummy candidates and electronic cheating allegations; exam later cancelled.
SSSB Group-B Officers recruitment examination
Agriculture Development Officer recruitment examination
PSEB Class XII English examination controversy
Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination (2026)
What police said regarding July 19 pharmacy examination:
No evidence of paper leak before examination
Cheating occurred after the exam commenced
Use of:
Pen cameras
Bluetooth devices
Wireless communication gadgets
Interstate network allegedly involved.
Political dispute
AAP government said no competitive exam paper leaked in Punjab during its tenure.
Pharmacy case involved cheating, not a paper leak.
While the opposition alleged that several recruitment and board examinations suffered paper leaks or serious examination malpractices. “Government is trying to distinguish between “paper leak” and “cheating” to avoid accountability,” they alleged.
The Tribune