top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

TET postponed after paper leak, three held

Mumbai: In another shocker, the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper has ‘leaked’ - barely 24 hours before the scheduled examination on Sunday - jeopardising the future of thousands aspiring to join the noble profession of teaching, officials said here. Reacting quickly, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination cancelled Sunday’s paper scheduled to be held simultaneously at 1,028 centres across the state and said that the new date will be announced early next week. As...

TET postponed after paper leak, three held

Mumbai: In another shocker, the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper has ‘leaked’ - barely 24 hours before the scheduled examination on Sunday - jeopardising the future of thousands aspiring to join the noble profession of teaching, officials said here. Reacting quickly, the Maharashtra State Council of Examination cancelled Sunday’s paper scheduled to be held simultaneously at 1,028 centres across the state and said that the new date will be announced early next week. As many as six lakh candidates were scheduled to appear for the examination across 1,728 centres at 37 locations, officials said. The paper leak was detected and verified swiftly by Bhiwandi Police in Thane district which has arrested three alleged suspected, two from Bihar and one from Haryana, who were planning to hawk it for a staggering sum of Rs. 1.50 crore, suggesting the involvement of an inter-state gang behind the incident. Giving details, the Bhiwandi Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Dudhe said that the question paper was allegedly being ‘sold’ for a staggering Rs 1.50 crore, indicating a well-organised racket transcending the state border. He said that early on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-II) Dr. Pawan Bansod received a confidential tip-off and he immediately alerted senior officials who launched a discreet operation to track and apprehend the culprits. “An informant tipped us that the accused were travelling from New Delhi to Mumbai carrying copies of the TET question papers. After verification, we laid a trap and arrested the three suspects in Bhiwandi. However, the kingpin/s behind the racket remain absconding,” Dudhe said. Police said that the papers were to be sold for Rs 1.50 crore for which advance was reportedly collected from some persons. The arrested accused are: Rajiv Shah, 45 and Akash Kumar, 30, both of Patna in Bihar and Dheeraj Kumar, 28, of Panipat in Haryana. Four Sets Official sources said that the police sleuths accosted the suspected trio in a local hotel room where they were staying, questioned and searched them. They recovered four sets of purported copies of the crucial TET paper from them. Upon sustained questioning they admitted that these were the copies of the TET examination question paper of June 28. Experts from the MSCE were immediately summoned to confirm the documents recovered and the officials confirmed that many of the questions apparently were similar to those in the official TET exam paper of Sunday. Armed with the information, the Kongaon Police Station in Bhiwandi initially detained the trio, filed a case and then placed them under arrest. They are slapped with charges under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita Sections 318(4), 316(5) and 61(2), besides stringent sections of the Maharashtra Examination Act, 2024, said Senior Police Inspector (HQ) Shailesh Salvi. As news of the paper leak spread like wildfire, thousands of candidates vent their ire before the mediapersons and on social media, demanding an overhaul of the public examinations monitoring systems and stringent punishment to the accused. SIT Formed The Thane Police have formed a 9-member SIT comprising Dr. Bansod, Sachin Sangle, Dr. Vinay Marathe and other officers, to investigate the source of the leak, identify the masterminds, and determine whether the network was linked with similar examination scams across the country. The TET paper leak comes days after the nationwide furore over the NEET 2026 exam paper leak with questions raised on the country’s public examinations system amid claims and assurances of tight security and monitoring. Congress, CJP flay govt Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal and Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke pounced on the state government, accusing it of failing to safeguard the future of thousands of deserving candidates. They demanded a thorough probe and stringent action against everyone involved, lamenting how a series of examination scandals have damaged the credibility of the state’s education and public exams systems. “The government is not bothered. They are busy with breaking political parties. The so-called double-engine regime is to be blamed for the ‘double-leaks’ in such a short time. The education minister must resign,” demanded Dipke. The examination system has come under a cloud with several entrance and recruitment exams, including the NEET, UGC-NET, the Maharashtra TET and others cancelled or being probed in the past three years, triggering huge public outrage and raising question marks on the careers of lakhs of candidates.

More Than a Title

When people hear “personal branding,” they often picture a polished LinkedIn profile, a few highprofile speaking engagements, or a well-curated social media feed. But personal branding goes much deeper. Many business owners and professionals overlook its full potential, missing out on its true power to shape careers, relationships, and even legacies. It’s not just about having a title or “getting noticed”; it’s about creating a mark that reflects who you are at your core.


The heart of personal branding lies not just in what you say but in what you do. Building a powerful personal brand involves consistency, integrity, and, most importantly, actions that align with your values. It’s easy to focus on what you want others to see on the surface—your professional achievements and polished presentations. But it’s often the subtle, behind-the-scenes actions that truly shape your brand. Your reliability in small matters, your follow-through on commitments, and how you engage with people when no one is watching—all these aspects build (or break) your brand in ways words alone never could.


A brand isn’t just an image; it’s an experience created, and that’s the kind of reputation that outlasts trends.


Another essential, often misunderstood, aspect of personal branding is that it isn’t a one-time effort or a “set it and forget it” task. Like any meaningful journey, branding requires continual growth, reflection, and adjustment. Professionals often treat their brand as something fixed, a static image crafted once and left on autopilot. But in reality, a strong personal brand grows alongside you. Just as companies rebrand over time, so should individuals. Every new experience, achievement, and lesson learned is an opportunity to refine your brand, making it richer and more aligned with who you are becoming.


Personal branding isn’t just about attracting clients or impressing employers; at its core, it’s for you. Building your brand forces you to confront strengths, identify weaknesses, and clarify what matters. In this way, branding isn’t just external; it’s an internal compass that keeps you aligned with your purpose. When done right, it empowers you to pursue goals that resonate with who you genuinely are rather than what the industry or market expects. This sense of alignment builds confidence which radiates from your brand, drawing people to you for who you truly are.


Amid the talk of creating an image, one truth must be remembered: authenticity is the foundation of any lasting brand. In today’s world, people crave genuine connections and quickly sense when someone is putting on a facade. Some professionals create a brand that’s perfectly polished but disconnected from who they really are, and the result is a brand that doesn’t resonate deeply with anyone. Authenticity builds trust, and in the long run, trust becomes loyalty, which is worth more than any carefully staged appearance.


Ultimately, personal branding is the legacy you leave behind. When we talk about building a brand, we’re not just talking about climbing a ladder or making an impression. We’re talking about creating a story others will remember long after you’ve moved on. Your brand is the positive impact you leave, the inspiration you provide, and the respect you earn. It’s the mark that remains, outlasting trends and leaving a lasting impression.


Think of your personal brand as more than a professional asset; as a lifelong investment in yourself. It’s a chance to not only build a career but to create a meaningful influence. Every action, word, and value you uphold adds to this journey. Personal branding is about more than being noticed; it’s about being remembered for the right reasons. For those serious about creating a meaningful mark, the journey of personal branding is as much about self-discovery as it’s about professional success.


(The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page