The Indian National Congress on Thursday, 25 June launched its nationwide 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign in Ahmedabad, alleging that repeated examination paper leaks and systemic failures in the country's testing infrastructure have placed the futures of crores of students at serious risk. The 40-day campaign will span 28 major cities across India, mobilising students, job aspirants, and youth groups around concerns over the National Testing Agency (NTA) and examination governance.

Key Allegations and Demands

Addressing a press conference, former Maharashtra minister and MLA Satej Patil alleged that policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had jeopardised the futures of lakhs of students. He demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for a formal investigation into alleged links between those responsible for paper leaks and political figures.

'The future of many students is under threat because of the corrupt policies of the BJP government,' Patil said. He described the campaign as a platform for students and job aspirants whose efforts had been undermined by paper leaks, cancelled examinations, delayed results, and stalled recruitment processes.

NEET-UG Controversy at the Centre

Patil alleged that confidence in India's examination system had been severely damaged following the NEET-UG controversy. Congress leaders at the event paid tribute to Kahan Patel of Gujarat, described by the party as a talented student who allegedly died by suicide after becoming 'disheartened' in the wake of the NEET paper leak row. Party leaders also referred to reports of several other student suicides across the country linked to examination-related distress.

'Students are not asking for favours. They are only demanding fair examinations and recruitment within a fixed timeframe,' Patil said.

Scale of the Problem: Figures Cited

Ahmedabad city coordinator Shesh Narayan Ojha alleged that paper leaks had become a recurring national problem rather than isolated incidents. Citing party figures, he claimed that 89 paper-leak cases had been reported across the country over the past decade, affecting at least 6.5 crore candidates. He added that nearly 48 examinations had required re-tests, while 22 had been cancelled before being conducted.

Patil echoed those figures, stating that despite more than 89 examination scandals in recent years, no major masterminds or networks behind them had been exposed. 'Accountability must be fixed at the national level when trust in national examinations is affected,' he said.

Ojha called for a comprehensive overhaul of the examination system, covering paper-setting mechanisms, printing, transportation, examination centres, digital infrastructure, and vendor contracts. He also demanded a fixed annual examination and recruitment calendar with pre-announced dates for examinations, results, and appointments.

Gujarat Education in Focus

State party spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi also trained his criticism on education in Gujarat specifically, claiming the state faces a shortage of more than 40,000 teachers and that around 3,000 schools are operating with only a single teacher. He accused both the Centre and the state BJP government of weakening the education sector and undermining teachers' rights.

Campaign Roadmap

The campaign's outreach phase begins on 30 June, with pamphlet distribution drives, street-corner meetings, and student outreach programmes across 28 cities. Weekly programmes, campus activities, and 'Ambedkar Samvad' events are planned throughout July. Demonstrations outside Collector's offices in all 28 cities are scheduled for 1 August. The first phase will culminate in a 'Delhi Chalo' mobilisation on 9 August, when students from across the country are expected to gather in the national capital to present their demands to the government.