On Sunday, activists affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) held separate demonstrations outside the residence of Odisha’s School and Mass Education minister Sudam Marndi, alleging a leak of the Class 10 state board exam question paper.

Student activists associated with the RSS and Congress, representing ABVP and NSUI, respectively, claimed that the English question paper for the Odisha High School Certificate Examination had been leaked on Friday.

During their morning protest, ABVP called for a thorough investigation into the alleged leak, while NSUI, staging a demonstration in the afternoon, demanded the resignation of the minister. Both groups, carrying posters and banners, chanted slogans against Marndi and attempted to enter his official residence.

NSUI activists also organized a similar protest in front of the minister’s house, where they burnt posters of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Marndi.

The protests were sparked by a purported video circulating on social media, allegedly showing an English question paper and answer sheet. The Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, overseeing the examination, refuted the accusation of a question paper leak on Saturday.

ABVP state secretary Arijit Patnaik criticized the minister’s silence on the matter, stating that they were seeking answers from him. ABVP national secretary Budhadeb Bag accused the BJD government of betraying students and demanded a thorough investigation, urging strong action against those involved.

NSUI state president Yashir Nawaz alleged that question paper leaks have become a recurring issue under the BJD government, accusing the administration of allowing the sale of question papers before exams. Nawaz demanded the minister’s resignation for failing in his duties and also called for a re-conduct of the Class 10 English exam.

The matriculation examination, involving over 5.5 lakh students at 3,047 centers across the state, began on February 20 and will conclude on March 4.

Source: PTI

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