Garhwal Post Bureau
Gairsain, 21 Jul: Protests over recruitment scams and repeated paper leak incidents today spread to Uttarakhand as Youth Congress and NSUI students staged demonstrations at the main square in Gairsain. Raising slogans against the Centre and examination agencies, the protestors burnt an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and demanded his immediate resignation, holding him morally responsible for the crisis. They alleged that the credibility of national examinations such as NEET, JEE and UGC‑NET has been shattered, with the National Testing Agency failing to safeguard confidentiality and fairness, thereby pushing the future of millions of students into uncertainty.
The protesters also claimed that despite the enforcement of strict anti‑cheating laws, paper leaks in recruitment examinations including UKSSSC continue to surface, reflecting serious systemic failure. They demanded stern action against those responsible, impartial investigation and judicial review of NTA’s functioning, along with legal proceedings against errant officials. They also sought justice and adequate support for students and families affected by examination irregularities.
Addressing the gathering, Gairsain Nagar Panchayat Chairman Mohan Bhandari said the agitation is not confined to a single examination or recruitment but concerns the future of crores of youth and the credibility of the education system. He urged the students across the state and country to unite against corruption and paper leaks. District Congress General Secretary Pradeep Kunwar accused the BJP government of presiding over repeated paper leaks and recruitment scams during the past twelve years, thereby playing with the future of students. He reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign on moral grounds, warning that Youth Congress would launch a larger public movement if the demand was ignored.
Congress Nagar President Kunwar Rawat said persistent failures of the Centre and state governments are destroying the future of youth, who toil day and night preparing for competitive examinations only to face paper leaks at the time of testing. Meanwhile, in Delhi, police lathi‑charge on protesting students also drew sharp reactions, with Congress staging a demonstration at Buddha Park in Haldwani. Party workers and students raised slogans against the Centre and the Education Minister, burnt his effigy and alleged attempts to suppress the voice of students. They demanded impartial investigation and serious consideration of students’ grievances, asserting that the credibility of the education system must be restored.
