Assam: Students protest after 2nd exam cancelled due to paper leak
Guwahati, Mar 17: 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. 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.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
