Hyderabad Students Protest NEET Paper Leak, Demand Minister's Resignation

Nearly 500 students marched through central Hyderabad on Friday as part of a statewide bandh called by student organisations. The protest demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak and condemns the police action against protesters during a recent march in Delhi.

The rally began at Narayanguda crossroads and ended at Himayatnagar crossroads, covering a distance of about 750 metres. Students carried placards in Telugu and English with messages such as "No more attacks on students" and "Punish paper leak culprits".

The protest was organised by the Telangana units of several student organisations, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Federation (AISF), National Students' Union of India (NSUI), Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), All India Forum for Democratic Students (AIFDS), All India Progressive Students Union (AIPSU) and All India Students Bloc (AISB).

Earlier in the day, members of these organisations visited government colleges across Hyderabad, including Government Polytechnic College, Government City College, and Government Degree Colleges in Kachiguda, Khairatabad, and Jubilee Hills. They requested college managements to suspend classes and explained the reasons for the bandh, briefing students about the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the national-level protests.

Students assembled at Narayanguda crossroads around 11.30 a.m. before marching towards Himayatnagar. A heavy deployment of police and traffic personnel accompanied the procession, regulating vehicles at key junctions and ensuring that traffic movement remained largely unaffected.

SFI Hyderabad president Lenin Geura said the rally was organised to condemn the alleged assault on students during the Parliament march in Delhi. "Students who were raising their voice against injustice in the education system were attacked. We demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as he has to take responsibility for the NEET paper leak," he said.

Narender, a student from a government college and a representative of the participating organisations, said repeated failures in the examination system had pushed the education sector into a crisis. "Students spend years preparing for competitive examinations, but repeated controversies have created uncertainty. The government should take strict action against those responsible for the paper leak and ensure such incidents do not happen again," he said. He also demanded the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA), alleging it had failed to conduct examinations fairly.

Among the marchers was Uday Kiran, a first-year junior college student, who said he had been following the NEET controversy on social media and wanted to be part of the movement demanding accountability. "I have been seeing social media platforms filled with discussions about this issue. I am glad that I could be part of a movement where students are raising their voice. I hope the government listens and takes steps to address their concerns," he said.