Indian police use tear gas and batons to disperse youth protest over exam paper leaks

Police in eastern India used tear gas, batons and water cannon to disperse thousands of youth protesters as they marched on the state legislature in Jharkhand state on Monday over alleged wrongdoing in civil service examinations, TV footage showed.

BHUBANESWAR, India — Police in eastern India used tear gas, batons and water cannon to disperse thousands of youth protesters as they marched on the state legislature in Jharkhand state on Monday over alleged wrongdoing in civil service examinations, TV footage showed.

Students and unemployed youth in Jharkhand, one of India’s poorer states, launched the protests late last month over the alleged wrongdoing including recruitment test paper leaks.

The protest follows weeks-long youth-led demonstrations in the capital, Delhi, also linked to exam paper leaks, which led to the resignation of the country’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month.

Police and paramilitary forces used tear gas, pellet guns and batons in Delhi to scatter some 50,000 youth protesters, some of whom clashed with police. The demonstrations were seen as a reflection of their anger over corruption in education, a lack of opportunities and unemployment.