Maharashtra students protests outside State School Education Minster's residence against offline exams

Students staged a protest outside State School Education Minster Professor Varsha Eknath Gaikwad's residence in Maharashtra's Mumbai, against offline exams.

The protesting students demand online exams for classes 10 and 12 in view of the COVID-19 situation.

Following the protest, police lathi-charged the students and tried to bring the situation under control. Cases are also being registered for violating COVID-19 protocols.

"We tried convincing and dispersing them (students)," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pranay Ashok.

The protest took place after a video by a youtuber Vikas Fhatak, alias Hindustani Bhau went viral on the internet in which he raised his voice over the concerns of class 10 and 12 students' health for the issue of offline examination.

In the video, he can be heard saying, "Many deaths took place due to COVID-19. People have not come out of its fear, now the Omicron variant has come. The government itself is saying to stay at home and take precautions."

He said that the professors are also holding meetings via online mode, so why the risk is being taken with children's health by taking offline exams.

"I would like to request you (government) to cancel the offline exams. If not then, my students and I would take to protest at the doorstep of the Varsha Gaikwad. I won't stop until they get justice...," Bhau said in the video.

After this video surfaced on the internet, DCP Pranay Ashok was asked whether the crowd gathered on the direction of Hindustani Bhau. He said, "An inquiry will be conducted and action will be taken."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra School Education Minster Prof Varsha Eknath Gaikwad also said, "We've been continuously discussing students' health and safety. I told students to have discussions with me. I'll decide further. But we also have to keep in mind the two-year loss in school students' education."

( With inputs from ANI )