Why the CJP's protest feel more like a political move then a help to the students?
Recently, the CJP has called the student groups to protest on June 6, 2026 outside the Jantar Mantar. The aim of this protest is the resignation of the education minister of India Dharmendra Pradhan.
My question is, does the resignation alone help the students? The resignation is not promising that this type of situation will never come again, neither is the resignation doing anything for the relief of students who have been wronged by the system this year. I agree that accountability is important, but accountability alone is not going to solve everything. Students demand justice, and the resignation alone cannot solve their problem, they need some measures to be taken to ensure that the availability of their opportunities.
I will be discussing the issues one by one.
CBSE and OSM:
Before I dive into the topic, let's talk prerequisite knowledge.
Question. What is OSM? Why was it introduced?
Answer. OSM stands for 'On Screen Marking'. CBSE announced the introduction of On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class XII through a notification dated Feb 9, 2026. According to CBSE, the system was introduced to improve transparency, consistency, and evaluation efficiency while reducing manual errors.
Question. What concerns were raised regarding OSM?
Answer. During the training of teachers for OSM, a lot of teachers raised their concerns regarding different things like sudden implementation of OSM, lack of familiarity, fear of evaluation inconsistency. We have seen multiple videos and discussions circulating around the social media where teachers were raising questions and suggesting CBSE to not move forward with their plans regarding the implementation of OSM system.
Question. Why did students start questioning the evaluation process after the results?
Answer. A lot of students who worked hard were expecting higher marks than what they got. The problem was not just the low scores, but their futures were put at stake. For a lot of students, even 5-10 marks can change the college they were eligible for. Counselling processes do not stop for re-evaluation debates. This is why many students felt anxious.
Question. Why is counselling process such a big thing?
Answer. After entering counselling students get to choose their preferred college, and if their scores are good, they get a seat in the college they opted for. Counselling process is often conducted in rounds and follows a strict schedule. If a student's marks are revised after major counselling rounds are completed, then there is no guarantee that the same opportunities will still be available.
I will end this section by saying that students who have been failed by the system have already lost a lot of time, lost their hopes and no matter what results are, their confidence in the system and their future opportunities may already have been affected.
I also believe that allowing students to give multiple compartment/improvement exams may help the students.
NEET:
Who doesn't know about the NEET controversy? The NEET controversy is another example of how examination-related failures affect lakhs of students. This concern is not a single controversy, but repetition.
In 2024, NEET faced allegations regarding paper leaks, grace marks, result irregularities. In 2026, the examination again became the subject of a major paper leak controversy, leading to cancellation of the exam, a CBI investigation, and a re-examination of lakhs of students. For students, the issue is not politics. The issue is uncertainty.
We all know how students prepare for years to prepare for exams like NEET. The controversies such as paper leak or re-examination occur then students have to face a lot of stress, delays and confusion. Not every student can mentally or financially afford repeated disruption in competitive exams.
The concerns are not just NEET or CBSE alone. In recent years, multiple examinations and recruitment processes, including SSC examinations and CUET-related controversies have also surfaced. Vandalism of examination centers, technical glitches in systems and delays in examinations are now normalised by the current education system.
Is this how the system should be? Is this what we deserved?
Will the resignation return the lost time and opportunities of the students? Is resignation the only way to compensate the students?
