To press for their demands, students call for march towards Parliament today

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

The students who have been staging a sit-in against the alleged irregularities in the examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at Jantar Mantar here have called for a march towards Parliament on Tuesday to press for their demands.

The indefinite sit-in strike of the protesting students entered the sixth day on Monday. The students called off their protest for the day after holding a demonstration and reiterated their demands, which include banning of the NTA and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

The students also demanded re-examination of NEET-UG for all and reinstate the old university specific entrance exam system.

The members of the Left-affiliated AISA and Delhi University’s KYS were among the other student outfits, who participated in the protests.

Meanwhile, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), led by national president Varun Choudhary, has launched a campaign against alleged corruption within the NTA, following the recent National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) scam.

The NSUI on Monday called for student unions to unite in combating these “malpractices”. Choudhary emphasised the need for a coalition to raise awareness and press for a decisive action.

“In response to corruption, our unified stance must transcend political affiliations. We must stand together for the rights and futures of students across India,” Choudhary said.

The proposed coalition aims to organise awareness campaigns to inform students and the public about the gravity of the situation. Through press conferences and public engagements, the coalition seeks to bring the issue to the forefront of national discourse, exerting pressure on governing bodies to take effective measures. Additionally, the coalition is considering legal action to challenge and potentially revoke the NTA’s mandate, aiming to restore integrity and transparency to the examination process, he said.

In support of NSUI’s initiative, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) urged leaders of political parties and student organisations to back the anti-NEET protests, which have gained momentum due to widespread “irregularities” in the entrance examinations conducted by the NTA.

The AISA’s call to action was shared on X, appealing to parliamentarians and other leaders to address the issue during the ongoing parliamentary session.

“Appeal to the leaders of political parties, student organisations and Members of Parliament to support the anti-#NEET-#NTA protest and raise concerns during the ongoing session of Parliament,” AISA wrote on X, tagging prominent leaders such as Manoj Jha, Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Singh.

In a statement, the AISA emphasised the necessity of re-conducting the NEET-UG to restore students’ trust. The association highlighted that the NEET-UG had been compromised by grace marks, paper leaks and other irregularities. AISA also criticised the role of UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, labelling him a central figure in anti-student policies since his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of JNU.

“The NTA is the outcome of the New Education Policy, against which progressive and democratic student organisations have vehemently protested since its proposal,” the AISA’s statement read.

“The definitive push for private and outsourced examination conduct of national importance, which holds high significance in the lives of students and youth of this country, has been handed over to the NTA, jeopardising the futures of over 2.4 million students,” it said.

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