Students affiliated with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) gathered inside Chennai’s Presidency College campus on Friday, staging a sit-in demonstration and raising slogans against the central administration while calling for the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This protest is an example of increasing nationwide discontent with the question of examination security. Some of the opposition leaders, such as Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were also organising demonstrations against the government on the Parliament premises dressed in black.
This political situation has expanded further due to the arrests of many opposition leaders who took part in a demonstration in the Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi earlier this week. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Vijay, expressed strong criticism against the police actions, stating that this act was undemocratic. In a post on X, Vijay reiterated his call for the complete abolition of the NEET examination, arguing that education should be returned to the State List or, as an interim measure, managed under a newly created 'Special Concurrent List' to give state governments full authority over general and medical admissions.
Meanwhile, high-level discussions took place at the Constitution Club in New Delhi between senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh, and representatives of the protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The CJP spokesperson, Abhijeet Dipke, was firm about continuing their agitation until Pradhan quits. In another development, the social activist, Sonam Wangchuk, gave up his 26-day-long hunger strike in Medanta Hospital in the presence of Nadda and Singh after being issued an assurance from the Union government regarding the reform of competitive testing system in writing.
To address the outrage among people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assured the citizens of strong action against those who are guilty of leakage of test papers, by saying that the Cabinet would deliberate on a draft bill for setting up fast-track courts.
Also read: TVK's Vijay calls for end of NEET
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