Ranchi: Students and youth activists staged a statewide protest across Jharkhand against the proposed Cluster System in higher education, recurring paper leak incidents in competitive examinations, and alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. The agitation, called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and RYA, included road blockades and demonstrations in several districts, with protesters gathering in large numbers at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi.
Addressing the gathering, AISA State President Vibha Pushpa Deep alleged that the Cluster System proposed by the state government would adversely affect access to higher education, particularly for students from marginalized communities, including women, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes. She claimed that the move would pave the way for privatization and commercialization of higher education in the state.
AISA State Secretary Trilokinath said that the increasing emphasis on self-financed and vocational courses at the expense of regular academic programmes would place an additional financial burden on students. He argued that education was being transformed into a profit-oriented sector rather than remaining a public right.
The protesters also expressed concern over repeated paper leak incidents in various competitive examinations, stating that such irregularities were jeopardizing the future of lakhs of students and undermining the credibility of recruitment and admission processes. They demanded strict action against those responsible and called for transparent examination mechanisms.
District Secretary Sanjana Mehta raised concerns over reported technical glitches and evaluation-related complaints in the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. She urged authorities to ensure transparency and fairness in the assessment process so that students do not suffer due to procedural lapses.
Among those present at the protest were AISA leaders Vibha Pushpa Deep, Trilokinath, Ranchi District President Vijay Kumar, District Secretary Sanjana Mehta, Sonali Kewat, Srishti Bhattacharya, Chandan Swarnkar, Nikhil Raj, Roshan Kumar, Shaleen Kumar, Shubham Kumar, Rajdeep, and several other students and youth activists.
The protesters warned that if their demands were not addressed promptly, the movement would be intensified across the state in the coming days.
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