SFI Condemns Denial of Permission for March to Education Ministry, Vows to Continue Protest

New Delhi: The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has criticised the denial of police permission for its proposed march to the Union Ministry of Education scheduled for June 19, saying attempts to restrict demonstrations would not weaken student opposition to irregularities in national examinations.

In a statement issued by its Central Executive Committee, the student organisation accused the Union government of trying to curb protests against the mismanagement of NEET, CBSE and other major examinations. SFI reiterated its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The organisation said it had launched nationwide protests following the NEET paper leak controversy and organised one of the earliest demonstrations on the issue through a march to the Education Ministry on May 12. Following the protest, more than 25 members, including national and Delhi unit office-bearers, were detained during that protest.

SFI stated that demonstrations were subsequently organised across 22 states and hundreds of locations nationwide, including major urban centres such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Lucknow and Guwahati. The organisation stated that 753 of its members had been arrested during these campaigns and alleged that 16 activists remain in jail.

The student body alleged that authorities in BJP-ruled states, along with some other state governments, had used police action to suppress student mobilisation.

Maintaining that concerns over the functioning of the examination system remain unresolved, SFI said it would continue its campaign until accountability is fixed and action is taken against those responsible for irregularities in the education sector.