AIAWU Expresses Solidarity with CJP Protests, Seeks Education Minister's Resignation Over Paper Leaks

New Delhi: The All India Agricultural Workers' Union (AIAWU) has expressed solidarity with CJP protesters at Jantar Mantar, including activist Sonam Wangchuk and 22 students on an indefinite hunger strike, and reiterated its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in national entrance examinations.

According to a statement issued by the organisation, an AIAWU delegation led by General Secretary B. Venkat, along with Sahil, and BKMU General Secretary Gulazar Singh Goria visited the protest site and extended support to the hunger strikers. The delegation also expressed solidarity with students demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister.

In its statement, AIAWU alleged that students across the country had been protesting for the past month over repeated irregularities in examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The organisation claimed that numerous examination paper leaks and other alleged discrepancies had undermined the credibility of the testing system and caused hardship to students preparing for different examinations.

Referring to the NEET examination controversy, AIAWU stated that the cancellation of examinations following reported paper leaks had caused distress to students and their families, even some students left with no choice but to die by suicide. The organisation also criticised the functioning of the NTA and held the Education Ministry responsible for what it termed systemic failures in the examination process.

The union claimed that students from rural areas, particularly those from farming and other working-class families, were disproportionately affected by examination irregularities because of limited educational infrastructure, financial hardship and inadequate access to resources. It said such students invest significant time and effort preparing for competitive examinations only to face uncertainty when examinations are compromised.

AIAWU further alleged that flaws in the examination system had contributed to severe mental stress among students and called for immediate action by the Union government. It reiterated its demand for the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister and said it would continue to support the ongoing student movement until its demands were addressed.

The Union Education Ministry had not responded to the AIAWU statement at the time of publication.

The allegations made by AIAWU have not been independently verified.