NSUI demands ouster of CBSE chief, Javadekar over Class X, XII paper leak

NEW DELHI: Congress youth leaders and students on Saturday held protests in several parts of the Capital against the CBSE exam papers being leaked, accusing the board of negligence and demanding immediate action against the guilty.

While some students gathered at Parliament Street in the heart of the city, members of the Congress' National Students Union of India (NSUI) began marching towards Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar's residence, but were stopped before their destination.

Outside the CBSE headquarters in east Delhi's Preet Vihar, various student groups and members of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) protested, raising various demands, including an independent investigation into the leakage of the Class X Mathematics and Class XII Economics exam papers.

Earlier in the day, scores of students also demonstrated outside the CBSE headquarters, asking for an early resolution to their problems.

"The leaks have exposed the capture of the highest academic institutions by the exam mafia under the watch of the Modi government, as well as the abdication of authority by the HRD minister and the CBSE chairperson," NSUI leader Neeraj Mishra said.

He added that they would demand the resignations of Javadekar and CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal.

The NSUI's list of demands includes announcement of the retest of the Class 10 Maths and the Class 12 Economics exams as early as possible.

They also demanded that, if possible, students should not be forced to take the retest.

Though the NSUI march was stopped at Udyog Bhawan Metro station, a short distance from Javadekar's Kushak Road residence, NSUI president Fairoz Khan and DUSU vice-president Kunal Sehrawat were taken by Delhi Police to meet the minister.

Sehrawat said that Javadekar assured them that a decision on the issues raised by them would be taken by the end of the day. CBSE had announced a retest of the two papers earlier this week.