By Mahesh Ved
Former President, Students’ Union, SRP PG Government College, Bandikui (Rajasthan)
As a former Students’ Union President, I have always believed that students are not just the future of a nation—they are its conscience. Whenever the education system fails to deliver justice, it becomes the responsibility of young people to raise their voices peacefully and within the framework of the Constitution.
The ongoing students’ protest at Jantar Mantar is not a protest against the nation; it is a democratic appeal to protect the credibility of India’s education and recruitment system.
Today, thousands of students and job aspirants from across the country are sitting on the streets, not because they wish to protest, but because they feel they have exhausted every other option.
Many have spent years preparing for competitive examinations, sacrificing personal comfort, family time, career opportunities, and financial stability. When allegations of paper leaks, repeated exam cancellations, recruitment delays, or irregularities surface, it is these hardworking students who bear the heaviest burden.
A competitive examination is far more than a test. It represents the hopes of an entire family. Behind every candidate is a father working extra hours, a mother making silent sacrifices, and a young person dedicating years to a single dream. When that dream is shattered because of administrative failures or a lack of transparency, disappointment and frustration are only natural.
Education has always been the strongest tool for social transformation. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar believed that education leads to liberty, equality, and dignity. For millions of students from rural India, economically weaker families, and marginalized communities, competitive examinations are not merely career opportunities—they are a pathway to a better life. If that path is weakened by uncertainty and irregularities, it is not only individual aspirations that suffer, but also the nation’s promise of equal opportunity.
The youth of India are not asking for special treatment. They are simply asking for fairness. They are not looking for shortcuts; they are asking for a level playing field where merit is respected and honesty is rewarded.
Their demand is straightforward—conduct transparent examinations, ensure fair recruitment, and allow every deserving candidate to compete with confidence.
Jantar Mantar has long stood as a symbol of India’s democratic spirit. It is a place where citizens peacefully express their concerns and seek accountability. The students gathered there are exercising rights guaranteed by the Constitution—the freedom of speech, expression, and peaceful assembly. Democracy grows stronger when it listens to the concerns of its youth instead of ignoring them.
India’s history offers many examples where student movements became catalysts for meaningful social and political change.
During the freedom struggle, students stepped out of classrooms to stand with the nation. In later decades, they played an important role in raising questions about corruption, governance, and educational reforms. These moments remind us that students are not passive spectators—they are active participants in shaping the country’s future.
Having been part of student leadership myself, I understand that student movements are not about creating instability. They are about seeking fairness, transparency, and accountability. Every generation of students has contributed to strengthening Indian democracy by peacefully questioning injustice. Many important reforms in education and governance have begun with the voices of young people who refused to remain silent.
Unfortunately, today’s students are facing tremendous emotional, financial, and psychological pressure. Many aspirants spend five to eight years preparing for a single opportunity. Their families invest their savings, while students put their careers and personal lives on hold in the hope of securing stable employment.
Every cancelled examination, every unexplained delay, and every allegation of malpractice deepens anxiety and weakens public trust in institutions. The emotional cost of these failures often goes unnoticed, but it is immense.
The way forward is not confrontation—it is constructive dialogue. Governments, examination authorities, educational institutions, and student representatives must work together to build a recruitment system that is transparent, technologically secure, accountable, and time-bound. Strict action against those responsible for examination malpractice, stronger digital safeguards, and timely recruitment processes are essential if public confidence is to be restored.
Every protest also comes with responsibility. Students must ensure that their movement remains peaceful, disciplined, and respectful of public order. At the same time, governments must engage with genuine concerns through meaningful dialogue instead of allowing frustration to grow. Ignoring the voices of young people only widens the gap between institutions and the citizens they are meant to serve.
The issue before us goes far beyond any one examination or recruitment process. It is about preserving the credibility of India’s education system and protecting the trust of millions of young aspirants. When merit is compromised, the nation ultimately risks losing one of its greatest strengths—its talented youth.
As a former Students’ Union President, I firmly believe that the strength of any student movement does not lie in slogans alone. Its true strength lies in its moral purpose. A peaceful movement rooted in constitutional values is never a sign of weakness; it reflects the faith that young citizens continue to place in democracy and in the institutions that are expected to uphold justice.
I stand in support of every student’s constitutional right to seek justice through peaceful democratic protest. Supporting these students does not mean opposing the government. It means standing for fairness, merit, transparency, and the constitutional values that form the foundation of our democracy.
The voice rising from Jantar Mantar is more than a protest—it is the collective hope of millions of young Indians who believe that hard work and honesty should be rewarded. If we truly believe that the youth are the builders of tomorrow, then we must protect their faith today.
Let us not dismiss these voices. Let us listen to them, engage with them, and work together to build an education and recruitment system where integrity is unquestionable, merit remains supreme, and every deserving student receives an equal opportunity to succeed.
When students ask for justice, they are not weakening democracy—they are helping strengthen it.
