Correspondent
IMPHAL, Jul 19: Opposition Congress in Manipur on Sunday demanded that the Union education minister must resign on moral grounds during a news conference organised under AICC’s Chhatron Ki Goonj.
Addressing the news conference at Imphal Congress Bhavan, MPCC president and former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh alleged that repeated examination paper leaks under the BJP-led NDA government have shattered the future of thousands of students across the country.
Singh alleged that at least 152 instances of examination paper leak incidents including the NEET examination since the BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014. Such recurring leaks have caused immense hardship to students and their families, the former three-time chief minister said, adding that such recurring incidents have adversely affected aspirants as they have lost hope. He lamented that some had even committed suicide.
He Highlighted that in this year’s NEET controversy, more than 25 students across the country had committed suicide following the paper leak issue
“The repeated failures in conducting fair examinations clearly establish accountability at the highest level,” he said, adding that the Union education minister must accept responsibility and resign on moral grounds.
Singh stated that students spent years preparing for competitive examinations and the parents also invested significant financial resources in their education.
Repeated cancellation and re-conduct of examinations, on other hand, has imposed unbearable emotional and economic burdens on families, he said, adding that the Congress would like to fix the responsibility for the impact on the students and parents. Referring to the protest led by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun on July 17 in support of students affected by examination irregularities, he said not only the Congress party but many other parties and groups have been pressing the Central government for fixing the responsibility but the government has remained like a silent spectator as if nothing had happened.
Singh further added that noted environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike campaign demanding justice for students affected by examination paper leaks.
The present government at the Centre is doing nothing to restore the confidence among the youth, he alleged, warning that continued negligence could severely damage the country’s education system. Many senior leaders, sitting and former MLAs of the Congress attended the news conference.