Thousands of students, parents, youths, and citizens participated in a peaceful march in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, to express solidarity with education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk and to demand greater transparency, accountability, and reforms in the country’s education system.
The march, organised by the youth coalition, Youth for Change, began at Akashdeep and proceeded peacefully to IG Park, where a public rally was held. Participants carried banners and placards in support of Wangchuk’s campaign, raising slogans such as ‘We Want Justice!’ and ‘Resign Karo, Resign Karo, Dharmendra Pradhan Resign Karo!’
Speakers at the rally alleged that repeated irregularities in competitive examinations have undermined students’ trust in the system, particularly affecting aspirants from lower- and middle-income families whose future depends on merit-based recruitment. They called for greater accountability and urged the authorities to ensure that examination processes remain fair and transparent.
The rally concluded peacefully at IG Park after participants reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting democratic initiatives seeking reforms in the education sector.
The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) also backed the nationwide ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ campaign against examination paper leaks, accusing the Centre of jeopardising the future of students and youths across the country. APCC spokesperson Johny Yangfo alleged that repeated examination paper leaks have created uncertainty among students and questioned the Centre’s handling of the education system.
Yangfo claimed that the issue has affected the future of lakhs of aspirants and called for urgent reforms to restore confidence in the examination process. He also criticised the Union Education Ministry, claiming that such incidents would continue unless corrective measures are taken.
A peaceful protest march in solidarity with Wangchuk was also organised in Tawang by the Tawang Middle Zone Students’ Union, in collaboration with various NGOs and local residents. The protesters marched from Buddha Park to Dungyur Mani in the Old Market area, holding placards and shouting slogans against the government’s alleged ‘dictatorial attitude’ and ‘failure’ to conduct national-level higher education entrance examinations.
They also demanded the resignation of the union education minister and called for greater transparency and accountability in the country’s examination system.
