AISA protest over exam irregularities ends in detentions, student body seeks Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

The All India Students' Association (AISA) on Monday alleged that several of its activists were detained by police during a protest march outside the Ministry of Education in New Delhi, where the student organisation had gathered to demand accountability for examination irregularities and seek the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest was organised around a concern that has become increasingly familiar to many students appearing for competitive examinations. An exam is conducted, complaints emerge over paper leaks, technical glitches, evaluation errors or administrative lapses, and demands for accountability follow.

AISA says that pattern has now stretched across multiple examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Common University Entrance Test (CUET), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruitment tests.

According to a statement issued by the organisation, protesters marched towards the Ministry of Education on June 1 to highlight what it described as repeated irregularities in the examination system.

Protest centred on accountability in examinations

The organisation said the demonstration sought accountability for alleged paper leaks, score calculation errors and other examination-related concerns that have surfaced in recent years.

The protest also reiterated AISA's long-standing demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts several national-level entrance examinations.

As the march reached the ministry, AISA alleged that police personnel stopped the protesters and detained several activists.

The student body claimed that those detained were taken to Kapashera Police Station and remained there for several hours without clarity on when they would be released.

There was no immediate response from the Delhi Police regarding the allegations made by the organisation.

Student leaders criticise government's handling of examination concerns

In the statement, AISA leaders linked the protest to broader concerns about the conduct of examinations and the government's response to criticism.

AISA national president Neha alleged that the NTA reflected deeper problems within the education system.

"The NTA represents the worst form of negligence and corruption which prevails in education today, with the most clear reflection of the Modi government's education policy," she said.

Anjali, the organisation's Delhi University secretary, claimed that instead of addressing repeated concerns around paper leaks and examination management, authorities were attempting to suppress dissent.

"Rather than acting on the repeated patterns of paper leaks, the Modi government is busy in delegitimising genuine protests," she said.

Saavy, AISA's Delhi joint secretary, reiterated the group's demand for the education minister's resignation.

"The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is the priority for citizens who want to secure a better education system for the country," she said.

Demand to scrap NTA resurfaces

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Nitish renewed the demand to dismantle the examination agency.

"If we have to stop paper leaks, the NTA must be entirely dissolved," he said.

The protest comes amid continuing debates over the functioning of examination authorities and the management of high-stakes tests. Student organisations and opposition groups have repeatedly raised concerns over issues ranging from paper leak allegations and technical glitches to delays in examination processes and result declarations.

In the days leading up to Monday's march, AISA had used social media platforms to mobilise support for the protest, arguing that examination-related controversies had continued across multiple recruitment and entrance tests.

The organisation's latest statement also criticised remarks made by political leaders about students and young people, claiming such comments reflected a lack of accountability towards the country's youth.

Bigger questions around examination reforms

In its statement, AISA appealed to students and young people across the country to join campaigns against examination irregularities and demanded what it called immediate accountability for recurring controversies.

For AISA, the protest was not only about one examination or one agency. The larger demand was for accountability across the examination system.

Whether the demonstration translates into any policy response remains unclear. But with entrance examinations affecting millions of students every year, questions around transparency, evaluation and accountability are unlikely to disappear soon.

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