The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Thursday as opposition members raised the issue of a leaked question paper for the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) second-year examination, scheduled for Friday.
The disruption led to the House being adjourned twice, totalling 14 minutes—from 4:06 PM to 4:10 PM and then to 4:20 PM—amid protests and sloganeering by the opposition, who stormed the well of the House demanding accountability from the government.
Following the commotion, Speaker Surama Padhy directed Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling to address the assembly. In his statement, the minister confirmed that the ANM second-year exam (fifth paper on Midwifery) was set to be conducted from 2 PM to 5 PM on Friday across 47 examination centres in all 30 districts of the state. However, reports of the question paper leak surfaced in various media outlets before the exam could commence.
Minister Mahaling assured the House that the government has taken the matter seriously. An FIR has been lodged at the Capital police station in Bhubaneswar to investigate the incident. “Legal action will be taken against those involved in the question paper leak as per the provisions of the law,” he stated, emphasising the government’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the examination process.
The opposition’s outcry highlighted concerns over potential irregularities in the state’s nursing education system, with members accusing the administration of negligence.
