Patna: Hundreds of intermediate students gathered outside the JD (U) office in Patna on Thursday, chanting slogans and demanding revisions to the new education policy. The spirited demonstration saw scuffles between the protesting students and police, with the young demonstrators vowing to persist until their demands are met.
Following the protest at the JD (U) office, the students proceeded to the BJP office, where a few were invited for discussions while others, including some female students, were escorted to the police station.
Education Minister Sunil Kumar responded to the students’ grievances, acknowledging the issue and assuring that the government would review the decisions made. “We will revisit the previous decisions and explore avenues for improvement,” he stated.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary met with the girl students, offering assurances that their demands would be taken into serious consideration, with decisions made in the best interest of the students.
The unrest stems from the new education policy, which plans to segregate intermediate studies from degree colleges, integrating them into school education. This shift will halt admissions to class 11 in degree colleges starting from this academic session, compelling students to pursue their class 12 grade in higher secondary schools. Nearly 2,000 degree colleges across the state are expected to cease intermediate studies.
This protest follows a recent demonstration by students from NN College, where they blocked roads for an hour, and students from JD Women’s College, who staged a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s residence just three days ago.
