Bhubaneswar, Dec 6: A major controversy erupted on Friday after the ANM examination question paper allegedly leaked hours before the test. The incident has prompted sharp political reactions, with Opposition Leader Naveen Patnaik expressing deep concern and accusing the state BJP government of repeated administrative failures.

Taking to social media platform X, Patnaik criticised the government, stating that the continuous cancellation of recruitment examinations is “shattering the dreams of lakhs of students.” He added that by cancelling the ANM exam, the government had once again “pushed the future of thousands of aspirants into darkness.”

Patnaik further questioned, “How many more dreams of the youth will be broken? How long will the future of our children be played with?” He remarked that the cancellation and postponement of exams reflect the government’s incompetence, noting that nearly 18 recruitment examinations have been cancelled in the 18 months of the current administration.

He urged the government to ensure that all examinations are conducted regularly and transparently, without repeated disruptions.

The leak incident

According to sources, the ANM question paper went viral on WhatsApp on Friday in Deogarh, nearly three hours before the exam scheduled at 2 PM. The midwifery paper was also set to be held the same day, but reports from Malkangiri and Balangir suggested that the paper had leaked earlier.

Following the revelations, authorities in Balangir acted swiftly. Sub-Collector Alok Kumar Patel and Additional SP Himanshu Behera visited the women’s college examination centre to review the situation. Initially, officials stated that an inquiry was underway. However, the Board later decided to cancel the examination indefinitely.

All question papers were subsequently returned to the treasury, officials confirmed.