Youth Congress workers detained during Mumbai march over NEET, CBSE row

Several Youth Congress activists were detained by police in Mumbai on Tuesday after they attempted to march in protest against the alleged NEET paper leak and concerns surrounding the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

The protest march, led by Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib, began at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar and was headed towards the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Shivaji Park.

Police stopped the march midway and detained a number of protesters, including Youth Congress office-bearers and workers, organisers said.

Raising slogans against the Centre, the demonstrators demanded transparency in the examination system and action against those allegedly responsible for paper leaks and other examination-related irregularities.

Opposition targets Centre

Addressing protesters before the detention, Chib alleged that repeated examination controversies had eroded public confidence in the country's education system and jeopardised the future of millions of students.

"The Prime Minister's weak leadership has allowed paper leak rackets to flourish across the country. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should take moral responsibility for the failure of the education system and resign immediately," he said.

Congress Working Committee member and former Maharashtra minister Naseem Khan claimed that examination paper leaks reflected deeper problems within the education sector.

"There is widespread resentment among students and youth. The government must treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves," Khan said.

Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap alleged that those involved in examination-related scams were not being held accountable and demanded an impartial investigation into the matter.

He also claimed that paper leak syndicates enjoyed political patronage.

AICC secretary Sachin Sawant said the examination system should function solely on merit and alleged that corruption and malpractice were depriving deserving students of opportunities.

Mumbai Youth Congress president Zeenat Shabreen said the agitation would continue until students receive justice and strict action is taken against those responsible for the alleged irregularities.

The protest comes amid opposition attacks on the Centre over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the controversy surrounding the CBSE's evaluation and re-evaluation process under the OSM system.