The Himachal Pradesh State Committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday protested outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office against the NEET paper leak and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Earlier, SFI activists, expressing their anger over the paper leak, marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, raising slogans against the central government.
SFI State Secretary Sunny Sikta stated that more than 20 students have committed suicide since the NEET paper leak incident. He held the Union Education Minister responsible for this situation and demanded his immediate resignation on moral grounds. He said that students across the country are protesting and demanding the minister’s resignation, but he has remained silent on the issue.
Sikta alleged that in the past 10 years, papers for approximately 89 examinations have been leaked, while approximately 49 examinations had to be re-conducted, raising serious questions about the functioning of the central government. He said that the central government, as well as the National Testing Agency (NTA), have failed to conduct examinations in a fair and transparent manner for a long time. They demanded the immediate dissolution of the NTA.
They stated that the cancellation of the exams had a devastating impact on candidates and their families. Repeated paper leaks and alleged mismanagement by the NTA and the Union Ministry of Education were causing severe mental distress and financial hardship to lakhs of students. They stated that students from marginalized communities were particularly affected.
The SFI also condemned Pradhan’s alleged statement calling the protesting students “terrorists.” It stated that at a time when lakhs of students and their families were suffering due to repeated irregularities, paper leaks, and administrative failures, such comments reflected a lack of accountability and empathy. It stated that instead of addressing students’ concerns, the minister chose to target those demanding justice. The SFI stated that it would continue its protest until those responsible for the paper leaks were held accountable.
