GUWAHATI: The Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS) has ordered an internal inquiry into the alleged circulation of photographs of a question paper during a postgraduate medical examination, days after the Centre tightened measures against examination fraud following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
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The incident reportedly occurred during the General Surgery theory examination for the 2023–26 MS/MD batch on July 27. Photographs of the question paper were allegedly circulated on WhatsApp while the examination was still underway.
According to officials, the photographs appeared to have been taken inside an examination hall, raising questions over how an electronic device may have been brought into the centre despite security checks. Authorities are now investigating how the question paper was photographed and circulated before the examination ended.
The matter came to light after a postgraduate student of a private medical college in Bhubaneswar reportedly received the images through a WhatsApp group allegedly created by a student of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
Some students also alleged that answers to the questions were circulated from certain phone numbers while the examination was in progress.
OUHS has begun collecting information from examination centres and examining the sequence of events to determine whether the incident compromised the integrity of the examination.
The university has not yet decided whether the examination will be cancelled or reconducted, with officials stating that any decision will depend on the findings of the inquiry.
However, MKCG Medical College dean-cum-principal Harekrushna Dalai said the incident should not technically be described as a question paper leak.
“It is not a question paper leak. Had the question paper come out before the exam and reached the students, we could have termed it a leak,” Dalai said.
He said the question paper was allegedly taken out of the examination hall shortly after it was distributed, describing the incident as more akin to the paper being “smuggled out” of the examination hall.
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of examination security across the country following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and the Centre's efforts to strengthen laws and enforcement against examination malpractices.