Police detained several protesting students from outside the official residence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday who demanded that the upcoming exams for classes 10 and 12 of the state board either be deferred or held online.

National Students Union of India's (NSUI) Goa unit president Ahraz Mulla said a delegation of students met officials of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) for their demand and later marched towards the CM's residence.

"The students were protesting peacefully for their genuine demand when they were detained by the police and taken to Pernem police station, almost 40 km away from Panaji," he claimed.

The students have been demanding that the GBSHSE either postpone the examinations for classes 10 and 12, scheduled to start from April 24, or hold them online on the lines of the CBSE or ICSE due to the surge in coronavirus positive cases in Goa.

About 30,000 students are expected to appear for the GBSHSE exams.