Beyond Protests
Not just exam leaks, entire education system needs fixing
After a long standoff between govt and protesters on the exam leaks issue, there’s some movement at last. By Friday evening, both sides had held talks, and were keeping channels open. Supreme Court also said it will follow the paper leaks case closely, and CJI denied he had refused to hear the matter of police action on protesters. On the whole, hopes of a resolution seemed brighter on Friday than they have through the week.
This has happened after an overnight change in govt’s strategy. Instead of ignoring protesters, and deploying the might of the state against them, it has chosen outreach. First, Modi released a video message to all students, saying govt takes leaks seriously, and will bring a strict law to stop them. By Friday evening, the cabinet had approved amendments to Prevention of Unfair Means law, including 10-year jail term and ₹10cr fine. All it needs now is Parliament’s assent.
While a stringent law to punish those who leak exam papers is good, can the problem be solved only with deterrents? The real fix will require changes to how exams are set and administered. That’s a systemic change, and even that only addresses the tip of Gen-Z angst. Govt should remember that exam leaks were only a trigger for protests, but the whole education system isn’t equipped for the AI age we are hurtling into. So, from KG to university, syllabus, teaching and attitudes need a generational overhaul. Education can’t be seen in isolation, it has to meet expectations of employment also. So, whether this standoff ends today, or in a week, is not the most important thing. The protest is a warning about the state of education in India, and govt should grab this opportunity to fix it.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
