Tripura students protest NEET, NET exam scandals, demand Education Minister's resignation

The Tripura Left Front's students and youth wing staged a protest rally on June 24 against the purported irregularities and alleged corruption that led to the cancellation of exams like NEET and NET. They also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest rally, organised by the Tripura Left Front's students and youth wings—including the Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Tribal Students Union (TSU), and Tribal Youth Federation (TYF)—commenced from the Paradise Chowmuni area in Agartala and passed through the streets of the capital city.

Speaking to reporters, Palash Bhowmik, DYFI state president, alleged that the BJP has pushed the education system into a ditch.

“In the last 15 days, one after another, exam papers of all-India level exams were leaked, leading to the uncovering of many corruptions. One after another, exams were canceled. The future of students is in danger. The BJP government is pushing the future of students towards darkness. At first, they (BJP) tried to cover up the corruption, but later Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accepted the corruptions and irregularities in the all-India level exams,” he said.

Bhowmik stated that the four left front students' wings, including SFI, DYFI, TSU, and TYF, were holding this protest rally to demand the resignation of the Union Education Minister and to call for strict action against those responsible for the corruption.

“Due to the commercialisation of education, such massive corruptions are taking place. We immediately want a solution and are demanding the scrapping of the National Education Policy, as in the name of NEP, they are destroying the education system,” he added.