The recent leak of the Class 9 Marathi question paper for the Performance Assessment Test (PAT) has sparked a wave of criticism from educators across Maharashtra, exposing lapses in the distribution and security protocols surrounding the examination process.
The question paper, which was circulated online two days prior to the exam, garnered more than 200,000 views on YouTube before it could be taken down. The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which conducts the PAT, has since confirmed that two YouTube channels were responsible for the leak. A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed, and police investigations are ongoing.
Teachers and educational leaders have voiced deep concerns about the systemic flaws that allowed such a breach to occur. According to educators, the current system at the taluka level suffers from a lack of infrastructure, inadequate transportation arrangements, and insufficient secure storage facilities—all of which contribute to the vulnerability of examination materials.
“There is no proper mechanism in place to safeguard the confidentiality of the question papers,” said Vijay Kombe, President of the Maharashtra Primary Teachers Association. “Often, schools receive the papers in loose printed or photocopied form from nodal centres, without any official seals or security protocols. These materials pass through multiple hands before reaching the school, greatly increasing the chances of a leak.”
Mahendra Ganpule, former president of the state principals’ association, echoed similar concerns, pointing to the casual manner in which examination materials are handled. “Exam papers are often delivered like daily newspapers—without any form of protection or accountability,” he said.
The PAT is designed to evaluate academic performance for students from Classes 1 to 9. However, the recent breach has raised questions about the credibility of the process and the reliability of the results it produces.
Kombe warned that continued incidents of this nature would undermine the purpose of the assessment. “If these leaks are not addressed with urgency and seriousness, the entire objective of assessing student learning outcomes becomes futile,” he remarked. “The government must urgently revisit its policies, guidelines, and execution strategies to restore faith in the system.”
Teachers have urged the education department to identify and penalise those responsible for the leak, reassess the necessity and effectiveness of the PAT in its current format, and ensure that educators’ time and efforts are not wasted due to poor planning and mismanagement.
