Sri Vijaya Puram, July 26: Student protesters have said the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan marks only a partial outcome of their campaign over the alleged NEET paper leak, asserting that their larger demands for accountability, compensation and systemic reforms in the examination process remain unresolved.
Addressing a gathering after news of the minister’s resignation, protesters said their movement had always extended beyond seeking his resignation. They maintained that the campaign was launched to secure accountability for the alleged paper leak, the deaths of students referred to by the protesters, and the financial burden borne by families who invested years in coaching and education.
The speakers said they welcomed the minister’s resignation but expressed dissatisfaction with the resignation letter, arguing that it did not acknowledge responsibility for the alleged paper leak or include an apology. According to them, accountability required more than a change in office and should include recognition of the impact on students and their families.
The protesters reiterated two principal demands that they said remain pending. They called for compensation for families affected by the alleged paper leak and sought action over what they described as police brutality against demonstrators during the protest at Jantar Mantar. They said they would continue their campaign until those demands were addressed.
Participants also argued that the alleged irregularities were not limited to a single examination. They said examination papers had allegedly been leaked on multiple occasions over the years, both in physical and digital formats, while students had also faced delayed data processing, late declaration of results, problems at examination centres and similar issues in other national-level examinations. According to the speakers, these recurring concerns reflected deeper shortcomings in the examination system.
One student said the broader issue was the functioning of the system itself, noting that examinations would continue but that repeated irregularities placed immense mental pressure on candidates. The student said accountability was essential and that while failure in an examination could be overcome through renewed effort, a paper leak was unacceptable because it undermined the integrity of the entire process.
A medical graduate associated with the protest said the movement began with only a few colleagues before expanding significantly. The graduate added that attendance at the gathering was lower because news of the minister’s resignation had already spread, but maintained that the resignation letter failed to provide the accountability or apology sought by protesters. The graduate also stated that although the NEET examination had allegedly faced paper leaks on more than one occasion, large-scale public protests had not previously taken place.
Thanking fellow young people for participating in the movement, the graduate said the ability to question authority was rooted in democratic values and constitutional rights. The speaker added that young citizens had a responsibility to raise concerns whenever institutions failed to meet public expectations.
According to the protesters, students from NMS, N-colleges and other educational institutions participated in the gathering. They said the concerns extended beyond NEET, arguing that students appearing for CBSE and other examinations had also encountered delays and systemic shortcomings. They maintained that the issue affected the broader education system and reaffirmed that while they welcomed the minister’s resignation, their demands for justice, compensation and meaningful reforms would continue.
