AISA president Neha Bora, who was on a hunger strike for 23 days along with activist Sonam Wangchuk in Delhi over the NEET paper leaks, on Tuesday said the irregularities are a “systemic problem” arising out of shortcomings in the education system and cannot be addressed merely by enhancing punishment.
Political Context
The bill was brought as a response by the government to the students’ protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, which started on June 20 and culminated after 36 days following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union education minister and acceptance of other demands by the government. The JNU PhD scholar and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) president also said that even if an investigation into a paper leak case is completed within 11 months, an entire admission cycle of students is over by then.
she said the proposed legislation on paper leaks largely dealt with what happens after an examination paper is leaked, while failing to address the structural problems that allow such incidents to take place While addressing the media in Kolkata. “Those in power in different states must lead by example and show how a government should deal with peaceful protesters,” she said. She said the significance was not merely that a minister had resigned, but that it showed representatives of democratic institutions could be held accountable. The National Education Policy should be rolled back to the extent that it promotes centralisation and creates greater disparities among students, she said. Regarding the demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation, Bora said the use of force against citizens during the Delhi protests cannot be justified, arguing that governments have established systems and protocols for dealing with protesters.
