Students march through central Hyderabad over NEET row, demand Union Education Minister’s resignation

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Students’ organizations at Keshava Memorial College in Himayatnagar, Hyderabad, during the ‘Vidyarthi Rashtra Bandh’ called by SFI, AISF, NSUI, PDSU, AIFDS, AIPSU and AISB, on July 24, 2026 | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

Nearly 500 students marched through central Hyderabad on Friday (July 24, 2026) afternoon as part of a Statewide bandh called by student organisations, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy and condemning the police action against protesters during the recent Parliament march in Delhi.

The rally, which began at Narayanguda crossroads and ended at Himayatnagar crossroads, covered a distance of around 750 metres. Students carrying Students’ Federation of India (SFI) flags and red-and-white banners walked through the busy stretch, holding placards in Telugu and English, including “No more attacks on students” and “Punish paper leak culprits”.

Student organisations which organised protest

The protest was organised by the Telangana units of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), All India Forum for Democratic Students (AIFDS), All India Progressive Students Union (AIPSU) and All India Students Bloc (AISB).

Earlier in the day, members of the student organisations appealed to educational institutions across Hyderabad to observe the bandh in solidarity with the protest. Beginning at around 8.30 a.m., they visited government colleges, including Government Polytechnic College, Secunderabad, Government City College, Kachiguda, Government Degree College, Khairatabad, and Government Degree College, Jubilee Hills, among others, requesting college managements to suspend classes.

Reasons for bandh explained

The student leaders said they went from classroom to classroom explaining the reasons behind the bandh and briefing students about the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the protests at the national level. They later assembled at Narayanguda crossroads around 11.30 a.m. before taking out the rally towards Himayatnagar.

A heavy deployment of police and traffic personnel accompanied the procession, regulating vehicles at key junctions and ensuring that traffic movement remained largely unaffected despite the gathering.

SFI Hyderabad president Lenin Geura said the rally was organised to condemn the alleged assault on students and youth during the Parliament march in Delhi. “Students who were raising their voice against the injustice in the education system were attacked. We demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as he has to take responsibility for the NEET paper leak,” he said.

Narender, a student from a government college and a representative of the participating organisations, said repeated failures in the examination system had pushed the education sector into a crisis.

“Students spend years preparing for competitive examinations, but repeated controversies have created uncertainty among them. The government should take strict action against those responsible for the paper leak and ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.

He also demanded the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA), alleging that it had failed to conduct examinations in a fair and transparent manner. “Students need a system they can trust. The examination process should not put their future at risk,” he said.

A student who wanted to take part in movement

Among those who joined the march was Uday Kiran, a first year junior college student. He said he had been following the developments around the NEET controversy on social media and wanted to be part of the student representation demanding accountability. “I have been seeing social media platforms filled with discussions about this issue. I am glad that I could be part of a movement where students are raising their voice. I hope the government listens to its future generations and takes steps to address their concerns,” he said.