Ranchi: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) on Monday organised a protest march at Firayalal Chowk in Ranchi in support of the ongoing agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The protesters also burned an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
Addressing the gathering, the speakers condemned the reported arrest of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who they said has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for the past 20 days. They also criticised the alleged police action against protesting students and youth in Delhi, calling it an attack on democratic rights and peaceful dissent.
The leaders alleged that repeated incidents of question paper leaks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and other competitive examinations have seriously undermined the credibility of the country's examination system. They demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him morally responsible for the alleged failures, and said their agitation would continue until accountability is ensured.
The speakers further alleged that structural corruption and repeated failures within the National Testing Agency (NTA) have adversely affected the future of millions of students and job aspirants. They also criticised the National Education Policy, alleging that it promotes commercialisation, centralisation and privatisation of education, thereby weakening the principle of equitable access to quality education.
The protest witnessed the participation of several student and youth leaders, including former DYFI National Vice-President Sanjay Paswan, DYFI State Convener Mohan Mandal, Kapil Mahto, SFI State Convener Danish, Sonali Kumari, Shricharan Kunai, Aman, Budhram, Amit Munda, former student leader Ranjit Modak, Faizan, Sanchi, Khushboo, Sumaira, Aurangzeb, Anju, Sita Marandi, Bhawani Kisku, Prem Rawani, Irfan Ansari, along with hundreds of students and youth activists.
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