Guwahati: Launching a sharp attack on the Centre’s education policies under the Congress’ nationwide ‘Chatroon Ki Goonj’ campaign, Jharkhand agriculture minister and senior party leader Shilpi Neha Tirkey on Thursday held the Union government “morally responsible” for repeated examination paper leaks and what she called “systemic failures” in the conduct of major tests.She demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.“If Dharmendra Pradhan believes in moral responsibility, he should accept accountability for these failures and resign from his post. This is not merely an issue of examinations. It is a question of the dreams of millions of young people, their struggles, and the future of India,” Tirkey said.Claiming the education system was facing a severe crisis, Tirkey said it was “in the ICU.” She alleged that the NEET paper leak controversy and irregularities in CBSE examinations had damaged the credibility of the country’s education framework and triggered nationwide concern.Raising the impact on students, she said uncertainty over NEET and repeated examination cancellations had caused intense psychological stress among aspirants. Referring to the suicides of several meritorious students—Akanksha Chaturvedi from Madhya Pradesh, Simran from Haryana, Vetri Anandam from Tamil Nadu, and Riya Kumari Thapa from Uttarakhand—she called the deaths deeply tragic.“The suicide notes left behind by these students expressed deep remorse, with many feeling they had disappointed or failed their parents,” she said.Tirkey said families often sell land, mortgage jewellery, and take loans to fund education. “When question papers are leaked, examinations are cancelled, recruitment processes remain stalled, and corruption outweighs the efforts of hardworking students, it is not just an examination that fails—millions of dreams are shattered.”She reiterated the Congress demand for reforms. “The national examination system must be made completely transparent, accountable, and free from corruption.”Tirkey also sought a fixed annual schedule for competitive examinations and recruitment processes to reduce uncertainty for students and job seekers.“Strict action must be taken against those involved in paper leaks and recruitment scams, and accountability must be fixed on the responsible officials and institutions,” Tirkey said. “The govt cannot escape its responsibility by merely arresting one or two individuals. This stain will not be erased by targeting a few faces; it can only be removed through comprehensive reforms of the entire system,” she added.The Guwahati news conference was attended by Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Meera Borthakur, APCC media department chairman Bedabrat Bora, MLA Zuber Anam, and Dibrugarh University student Palash Ranjan Dutta. The participants criticised what they described as anti-student policies of the central government and backed calls for education-sector reforms.
