Protest in Visakhapatnam Demands Scrapping of NEET, Return of Medical Admissions to States

Visakhapatnam, June 25: Members of the Progressive Democratic Students Organisation (PDSO) staged a protest near the Gandhi statue at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on Thursday, demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and other national-level common entrance examinations.

Addressing the protesters, PDSO district secretary V. Lakshmi claimed that approximately 23.33 lakh candidates had competed for 1.09 lakh medical seats in NEET this year, with nearly 20 to 21 aspirants per seat. She further alleged that the examination paper had been leaked ahead of the test and that the ensuing confusion had led the National Testing Agency (NTA) to order a re-examination.

Ms. Lakshmi alleged that 15 students had died by suicide across the country following this year’s controversy and that 93 students had lost their lives over the past five years. She also alleged that 89 question paper leaks and irregularities in 148 examinations conducted by the NTA had affected nearly nine crore students nationwide.

The PDSO maintained that common entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE, and CUET place students under severe psychological stress. They urged the central government to abolish these exams and restore to states the authority to conduct admissions to medical colleges.

The organisation also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, expansion of medical colleges and hospitals, and greater investment in agriculture, pharmacy, and veterinary science courses to create wider career opportunities.

PDSO district president P. Viswanadh, vice-president Satish, assistant secretary Janaki, and students from various colleges participated in the protest.