Student Groups Shift NEET Protest Momentum to DU Campus Ahead of Union Elections

As the 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak concludes, student organisations are gearing up to transfer the political momentum to Delhi University (DU) campus, where the new academic session begins on Tuesday. The networking, visibility, and political capital built during the agitation are expected to shape their outreach ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, due six to eight weeks after the start of the session as per Lyngdoh Committee guidelines.

This year’s campaign began unusually early, with student organisations using the protest site to recruit incoming students. They picked up freshmen from railway stations, directed them to the protest site, and provided food, water, and logistics—services typically associated with DUSU election season. Multiple groups maintained tents and help desks at Jantar Mantar.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) emerged prominently during a hunger strike, while the All India Students’ Federation ran a bookstall. Volunteers from the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, and the Students’ Federation of India managed logistics. The Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) joined after alleged police violence on July 20. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which holds three of the four DUSU office-bearer posts, was the only major group absent, stating it was working for reform on campus where it “needed to be”.

Student leaders said the protest raised critical national issues that will now feature in campus campaigns. Anjali, an AISA leader and DU student, said the organisation plans to centre its campaign on issues like the National Education Policy 2020. She said AISA aims to “tap into the resistance and understand what caused so much anger”.

NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar said the group initially launched its own movement on the NEET issue but did not receive permission at Jantar Mantar. After the police action, it joined the protest, emphasising student unity. The group also set up help desks for hostel and other campus issues.

AAP sources said its student wing will contest the elections this year, noting a perceived shift in student sentiment. An ABVP member, requesting anonymity, stated that the group was focused on practical reforms and avoided the protest because “anti-national elements were present”.

With the session beginning, student organisations are now shifting their activities from the protest site to DU campus, where the political momentum of the last 36 days will be tested in the upcoming union elections.