THANE: Close on the heels of rising instances of examination paper leaks and alleged irregularities in the recruitment processes, several student organisations including the Congress, ABVP launched campaigns in Thane on Monday seeking to mobilise students and build pressure for reforms in the country’s education and examination system.The Thane Youth Congress launched the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Voice of Students) campaign at Thana College claiming to highlight students’ concerns over recurring examination paper leaks, recruitment irregularities, and challenges in competitive exams.“The initiative has been inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach in Kota and aims to amplify students’ voices and push for reforms in the education system. Our commitment is to end the exam paper leaks and ensuring a fair, reliable education system,” said a member who said students feedback was also sought through QR codes and digital modes.The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Thane unit staged a peaceful protest outside the Thane collector office calling the spate of paper leaks to be a serious blow to the credibility of the state’s examination system.“The incident was a breach of trust for exam aspirants and we have urged the government to undertake comprehensive reforms to restore confidence in the examination process,” said Manomay Sawant, a protestor.The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena criticized the government’s functioning through a satirical cartoon installed on a hoarding at Nitin Company junction. The caricature conceived by Swapnil Mahindarkar depicted money raining down from a leak in a large pipeline labeled ‘TET and NEET Examinations,’ while on the other side, a politician is seen mocking the issue.“The paper leak incident has occurred twice. Though the government has set up an SIT, there is widespread anger among students, because the accused involved in a similar 2020 incident are still roaming free. Nearly six lakh candidates were set to appear in the upcoming examination and are suffering mainly due to the government’s inefficiency. We want those found guilty to be tried in a Fast Track Court,” he said.On the other hand, Anil Bornare, president of Mumbai and Konkan Teachers’ Federation demanded the TET exam be discontinued in the state, stating that it has no relevance to routine classroom teaching. “Teachers are already overburdened with routine teaching work along with BLO duties. We will submit representations to elected representatives seeking action on these issues,” he said.
