Pune, 21st July 2026: Thousands of people, including students, parents, senior citizens and members of various social organisations, gathered in Pune on Monday to protest against the alleged NEET paper leak, accusing the central government of failing to safeguard the country's examination system.
Protesters demanded greater transparency in education and called for the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding them morally responsible for repeated examination irregularities.
The sit-in protest was organised near the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue outside Pune Railway Station in support of environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janata Party's nationwide call for action. Organisers estimated that around 5,000 to 6,000 people participated in the demonstration.
Holding placards and chanting slogans against paper leaks and the commercialisation of education, demonstrators expressed concern over what they described as the declining credibility of India's examination process.
They demanded strict action against those involved in paper leak cases, a transparent examination system and equal access to quality education at affordable costs. Police deployed heavy security in and around the protest venue to maintain law and order.
Addressing the gathering, activist Krishna Jadhav said repeated examination leaks—from teacher eligibility tests to NEET—had eroded public confidence in the education system. He also criticised the government's response to peaceful protests, alleging that voices of dissent were being suppressed.
PhD scholar Jyotsna Sonkusare said repeated examination irregularities had devastated students and their families. She argued that the government should accept responsibility instead of offering only assurances and warned that increasing privatisation could make education inaccessible for economically weaker sections.
Senior citizen Gauri Deshmukh said the government should engage in dialogue with students instead of ignoring their concerns. She urged authorities to ensure that students are not forced into extreme stress because of flaws in the examination system.
One of the striking features of the demonstration was the participation of schoolchildren alongside their parents. Several students came directly from school to join the protest.
Class VI student Aadhya Bhagat said she wanted to stand in support of students whose futures had been affected by examination irregularities. She said young people deserve a fair and trustworthy education system where hard work, rather than leaked papers, determines success.
CITU president Ajit Abhyankar said the protest extended beyond the NEET paper leak and reflected growing public anger over unemployment, privatisation of education and the treatment of peaceful protesters.
He claimed the movement would continue to grow until the government addressed students' concerns and ensured accountability in the examination system.