Continuing its four-day relay hunger strike, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), along with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS), held a rally to protest the alleged NEET paper leak and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The SFI also demanded the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA), cancellation of the National Education Policy (NEP), and strengthening of the public education system. During the rally, hundreds of SFI activists and members of various organisations raised slogans against the Central Government and demanded justice for students.

Addressing the gathering, SFI activists alleged that more than 22 lakh students appeared for the NEET examination and that following the paper leak, around 22 students had died by suicide across the country. They accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government and the Education Minister of failing to take accountability for the issue.

The activists also condemned the lathi charge on protesting students in Delhi, alleging that instead of addressing their concerns, the Delhi Police used force against them, leaving several students injured. They said the government had failed to fulfil its responsibilities, undermined students’ trust and was using “dictatorial” measures to suppress their voices.

“The NTA is responsible for conducting major competitive examinations in the country, including CUET, UGC-NET, JEE and NEET, for which lakhs of students prepare every year. However, the agency has repeatedly failed to conduct these examinations properly. The examination scheduled for May 3, 2026, had to be cancelled on May 12, 2026, after evidence of a paper leak emerged. Around 15 days before the exam, a ‘guess paper’ was circulated on WhatsApp and Telegram, containing more than 100 questions that allegedly matched the original question paper,” they said.

“Similarly, after the announcement of NEET 2024 results, 67 students scored 720 out of 720 marks, with several of them belonging to the same examination centre. The University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), conducted in June 2024, was cancelled the very next day due to a paper leak. The primary responsibility for these failures lies with the Education Minister and the NTA, which conducts these examinations nationwide. Therefore, we demand the immediate resignation of the minister,” they added.

Extending solidarity with the protesting students in Delhi, SFI activists appealed to students and people across Himachal Pradesh to support the ongoing student movement.