HYDERABAD: Student organisations across Hyderabad on Saturday held marches and solidarity programmes following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing the development as a victory for the nationwide agitation over alleged irregularities in entrance examinations.
Left-affiliated student and youth organisations held a gathering near the Dr BR Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund, while students of the University of Hyderabad organised torchlight marches.
Representatives of several organisations, including 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), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), All India Students Bloc (AISB) and All India Progressive Students Union (AIPSU), said the minister’s resignation should not mark the end of the movement.
They demanded the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA), restoration of states’ powers to conduct entrance examinations according to local requirements, and withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The organisations alleged that irregularities in NEET, issues in the conduct of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and other examination-related problems reflected broader shortcomings in the centralised examination system. They also condemned the police action against students during protests in Delhi and demanded the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters.
Separately, leaders of the Students’ Organisation of India (SOI) said the resignation of an individual could not substitute for institutional accountability. They called for an independent inquiry into the alleged examination failures, greater transparency in the education and examination system, and action against those responsible.