Imphal: Volunteers of the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) on Thursday stormed the office of the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BOSEM), demanding an immediate and transparent investigation by the Commissioner of Education into a suspected scam involving the supply of substandard, non-watermarked paper for textbooks and answer scripts.
They also demanded that the responsible firm be blacklisted.
As DESAM members stormed the gate of the BOSEM office and threw rotten eggs inside the complex, police pushed them back, leading to a confrontation.
With the deployment of an additional police team, the protesters were finally pushed back from the BOSEM office to the Nupilal complex, a distance of about 100 meters. During the confrontation, some students reportedly sustained minor injuries.
O. Romesh, President of DESAM, on the sidelines of the protest, told the media that his student organization is demanding an immediate halt to the use of poor-quality, non-watermarked paper in examinations.
He also called for a thorough investigation into the alleged tender scam surrounding paper procurement and urged action against officials responsible for the substandard supply, including the BOSEM Chairman and Secretary.
Additionally, Romesh emphasized the need for efficient and high-quality production of textbooks for students.
DESAM has previously demanded the removal of the BOSEM Chairman for alleged irregular recruitment practices. The President has also threatened to intensify the agitation if these issues, particularly the quality of examination materials, are not addressed.