Assam: Students resort to protests after second board exam cancelled due to paper leak

Guwahati, Mar 17 (PTI): As the second test of the state board-conducted Class 10 exam was cancelled within a week following leak of question paper, students on Friday staged protests in different parts of Assam. While the AASU and NSUI organised demonstrations in several places, many examinees staged protests in various areas.

The general science exam, scheduled for Monday, was cancelled the night before the test by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, (SEBA) following reports of a leak of the question paper. It will now be held on March 30. On basis of information extracted from one of the masterminds of the case, SEBA on Thursday night announced cancellation of examinations of all Modern Indian Language (MIL) and English papers, slated for Saturday.

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It has been rescheduled to April 1. The CID is investigating the case and 27 persons have been arrested, four detained and one has surrendered so far. Students from about five schools of Guwahati, including many who are appearing for the Class 10 board exam, staged a protest in front of the SEBA office here, demanding clarifications from the board chairman. They squatted at the two entries of the office and urged the SEBA chairman to step outside the building and answer their questions. “We want assurance that the question papers of the exams already held were not leaked and that it won’t happen for the subjects that are due,” one of the students said. “We will continue sitting here until we get our replies as it will affect our future,” another added.

In Sivasagar, several students, including matric examinees, staged a silent demonstration in the town, demanding measures for the smooth conduct of the examination. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which has been protesting since the question paper leak case came to light on March 13, also staged demonstrations and took out processions in Dibrugarh, Sadiya, Sivasgar, Golaghat and Jorhat, among other places. The Congress’ students’ wing, NSUI, also staged a demonstration at Bilasipara in Dhubri district, and burnt the effigy of Assam Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu. Some NSUI workers were detained by police during the protest, they claimed.