NEET Paper Leak: Nationwide Protests Demand Education Minister’s Resignation
Protests against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak intensified across India on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with students, civil society groups, and political parties demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrations, which began over a month ago at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, have now spread to multiple states.
In Chennai, protesters from the Cockroach Janata Party-Tamil Nadu, the All India Student Federation (AISF), and the Neelam Student Movement called for the scrapping of NEET. The Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Student Federation of India (SFI) also joined, with over 500 students from New College at Royapettah participating.
In Kerala, the SFI led protest marches that in some districts turned confrontational as police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Marches were held in Kochi, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kannur, with police deploying water cannons in Palakkad and Kannur.
In Andhra Pradesh, a 'Chalo Lok Bhavan' protest by student and youth organisations was stopped by police midway. Organisers announced that Friday’s proposed educational institutions’ bandh would be intensified, and the agitation would continue in phases until the minister resigned.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, Bhim Army activists attempted to march towards the Governor’s residence, leading to clashes with police and detentions. The Sanyukt Chhatra Manch organised a march in Prayagraj, resulting in a brief standoff with police. Protests also occurred in Ghazipur, Varanasi, Ballia, and Azamgarh.
In Chandigarh, the Aam Aadmi Party extended support to activist Sonam Wangchuk and demanded Mr. Pradhan’s resignation. Party workers and social activists in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, criticised the police action in Delhi.
In Madhya Pradesh, the student agitation in Indore gained momentum as more students, teachers, and parents joined in solidarity with the Delhi protests, prompting heavy police deployment. Similar gatherings were held in Bhopal. In Karnataka’s Bengaluru, hundreds of working professionals, along with groups like the Dalit Sangharsha Samithi and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), expressed their anguish.
The protests also resonated in northeastern states. In Assam, organisations including the All Assam Students’ Union, the All Assam Minority Students’ Union, and the All Assam Tribal Students’ Union came together for demonstrations. In Guwahati, a protest was organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Rallies were held in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar, Shillong in Meghalaya, and Mizoram’s Aizawl. The BJP’s Assam unit organised a counter-protest in Guwahati against the Congress’s sit-in outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi.
In Bihar, police registered multiple cases against over 600 unidentified protesters for vandalising public property during Wednesday’s protest march in which several police personnel were injured. Over 40 students were detained in Patna. Security personnel used batons against stone-pelters in Katihar and Begusarai. Protests also took place in Bhagalpur and Darbhanga districts, with marches in Patna, Munger, Sheikhpura, and Vaishali. In Patna, members of AISA and the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) extended support to those at Jantar Mantar.
In Haryana’s Kurukshetra, activists from the Jan Sangharsh Manch Haryana and the Students’ Organisation for Socialist Democracy took to the streets, with leaders of all major Khap Panchayats in the district coming together to demand a solution.
