Agartala, 28th July 2026 : Allegations of a question paper leak have surfaced in connection with the Community Health Officer (CHO) recruitment examination conducted under the National Health Mission (NHM), with a section of candidates demanding a transparent and impartial investigation into the selection process.
Addressing the media after meeting NHM officials on Tuesday, the aspirants alleged that the CHO examination, conducted by SHPFET on February 1, 2026, was compromised after evidence of a purported paper leak came to light. They said suspicions first arose following the declaration of results on July 15, when an unusually high number of candidates scored marks as high as 98 and 97.5 out of 100.
The candidates claimed that on July 17 they obtained screenshots from a WhatsApp group allegedly showing several examination questions that had been circulated on the night of January 31, hours before the examination. According to them, the questions in the screenshots matched those that appeared in the actual test.
The aspirants said they immediately approached NHM authorities and urged them to suspend the recruitment process and conduct a thorough inquiry. They alleged that officials assured them a committee would be constituted to examine the allegations and sought a few days to complete the investigation.
During their subsequent meeting with NHM Director Souvik Roy, the candidates claimed they were informed that the government had been apprised of the matter. They further alleged that the Director stated the examination had been conducted by SHPFET and that any lapse in the conduct of the examination would fall within the agency’s purview.
However, the aspirants maintained that NHM, being the recruiting authority, cannot distance itself from the controversy and must ensure a fair investigation. They asserted that responsibility should not be shifted solely to the examination-conducting agency.
Warning of further agitation, the candidates said that if no concrete action is taken within the next two days, they will submit their grievances to Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha and launch a larger protest.
Approximately 2,600 candidates reportedly appeared for the CHO recruitment examination.
