Doomdooma: Students on Thursday staged a spontaneous protest in Assam’s Tinsukia district, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET question paper leak and calling for reforms to the country’s competitive examination system.
The protesters gathered near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Doomdooma town, raising slogans against the Union Education Minister and the BJP-led Central government.
They alleged that repeated irregularities in competitive examinations had eroded public confidence in the education system and demanded a transparent, fair and accountable examination process.
“The repeated irregularities in competitive examinations have shattered the trust of students. We demand the resignation of the Union Education Minister and a transparent, fair and accountable examination system,” the protesters said.
The students also expressed solidarity with the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, saying their campaign would continue until meaningful reforms were introduced.
They said lakhs of students spend years preparing for competitive examinations and deserved a system free from manipulation, irregularities and administrative lapses.
The protesters maintained that the demonstration was not organised under the banner of any political party or student organisation but was a spontaneous expression of students’ concerns over examination-related issues.
The protest briefly witnessed a standoff after police objected to the gathering, saying prior permission had not been obtained from the local administration.
However, the students claimed they had submitted an application seeking permission but received no response.
“Peaceful protest is our constitutional right. It is unfortunate that students are questioned for raising democratic demands while seeking justice for their future,” one of the participants said.
The demonstration concluded peacefully, with the students stating that they would continue their campaign until their demands for accountability and reforms in the examination system were addressed.