Thousands Join Student Led Rallies in Mangaluru and Udupi Demanding NEET Reforms and Education Minister’s Resignation
Students, parents, and citizens marched peacefully, calling for examination reforms, greater transparency, and accountability in the country's entrance examination system.
Mangaluru/Udupi: Thousands of students, parents, social activists, and members of various organisations took part in large protest rallies held in Mangaluru and Udupi on Friday, demanding reforms in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In Mangaluru, the protest was organised by several student groups, including the Students Campus Front, the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), and independent medical aspirants. Demonstrators marched through major roads towards the Clock Tower and the Deputy Commissioner’s office, carrying placards and raising slogans seeking justice for students and an end to examination irregularities.
Speakers at the gathering said repeated paper leak allegations, grace mark controversies, and concerns over examination integrity had created uncertainty and emotional stress for lakhs of students. They stressed that admissions to medical colleges should be based on merit through a transparent and reliable examination process.
The protesters demanded a Supreme Court monitored investigation into the alleged NEET irregularities, structural reforms in the National Testing Agency, accountability from the Union Education Ministry, and a fair framework to protect deserving students from the impact of examination related issues.
Following the rally, a memorandum addressed to the President of India and the Ministry of Education was submitted to the district administration. Police personnel remained deployed throughout the event, and traffic was regulated to ensure the protest concluded peacefully.
A similar demonstration was also held in Manipal, Udupi, where thousands of participants marched from Coin Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The rally drew school and college students, parents, senior citizens, and members of civil society, making it one of the largest student led protests in the region in recent months.
Participants in Udupi also urged the government to reform the examination system, ensure fairness in higher education admissions, and take responsibility for recurring controversies surrounding national entrance examinations. The protest ended peacefully under police supervision.