Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India] July 17 : Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived at Jolly Grant Airport on Friday evening to participate in the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme at Bannu School Ground in Dehradun.
The Congress leader was warmly received by party workers at the airport before departing for the event venue in Dehradun.
The LoP is expected to interact with the youth in the State's capital as part of the ongoing nationwide campaign 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Students' Echo). The nationwide campaign aims to focus attention on problems facing students, including exam irregularities and the broader state of India's education system.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that Uttarakhand, popularly known as 'Devbhoomi', had become the "epicentre of paper leaks" and questioned the state government's handling of the issue.
"I am coming to Dehradun on July 17th. But why Uttarakhand? Because 'Devbhoomi' has been turned into the epicentre of paper leaks," he wrote.
Targeting the state government over alleged irregularities in UKSSSC examinations held in 2025, Gandhi claimed that a "system" had emerged where government posts were being secured through means other than merit.
"A 'system' has taken root here regarding UKSSSC exams, where positions like Patwari or Lekhpal are secured not through merit, but at rates fixed by criminals," he said.
In October 2025, following a major paper leak controversy, the Uttarakhand Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UKSSSC) cancelled the Graduate-Level Recruitment Examination (which included 416 vacancies for Patwari, Lekhpal, and seven other posts). The written examination, which took place across all state districts on September 21, 2025, was declared completely "null" after a thorough inquiry.
Earlier, a single-member inquiry commission, constituted by the Uttarakhand government to investigate alleged irregularities in the competitive examination conducted by the UKSSSC on September 21, 2025, submitted its interim report to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The commission is headed by Justice (Retd.) UC Dhyani.
Gandhi further alleged that despite the enactment of a strict anti-cheating law, incidents of paper leaks continued. "The government enacted a strict anti-cheating law--yet the leaks continued. The law remained merely on paper, while exam papers continued to be sold in the market," he said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi launched the campaign from Rajasthan's Kota through a rally titled "Chhatron Ki Goonj Maha Rally" and now visited Uttarakhand to expand that campaign.