The protest in Dehradun, against recruitment scams, turned violent when disgruntled youth clashed with the cops. The students, backed by various social organisations were demanding that the CBI investigate the question paper leaks that have occurred for various examinations in the state of Uttarakhand. Irregularities have recently emerged in the recruitment exams held by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC).
When the protestors clashed with the policemen, lathi charge was resorted to by the cops, leading to some people getting injured. The clash was triggered when stones were pelted on the cops during the protest, which saw enraged youth blocking the road. While about 15 cops were injured, some shops and government vehicles were also damaged.
The youth, with the support of the Uttarakhand Berozgar Sangh, are demanding that the State government should seek CBI support to ensure that recruitment agencies are doing their work properly before the exams are conducted.
Question paper leaks are a serious issue and suggest that the rights of the jobless youth of the State are being squashed, feel the protestors. They cannot help wonder why the State government is not ordering a thorough investigation or seeking help from a sitting judge of the High Court to intervene.
Following such paper leak incidents, some universities have decided to go digital with their question papers. Under this system, the question paper is not printed but uploaded to a central server just half an hour before the exam. However, unless strict anti-copying laws are used and systems introduced to prevent unfair means in recruitment exams across the country, such leaks will be difficult to prevent.
