Nationwide student protests over alleged NEET irregularities have successfully led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, though student organisations vow to continue their fight for comprehensive education reforms and accountability.
Student organisations across the political spectrum on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing it as a major victory for the nationwide agitation over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
However, they asserted that their protests would continue until broader demands concerning accountability and education reforms are addressed.
The Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) organised a "Victory March" in New Delhi from its national headquarters to Jantar Mantar, with hundreds of students participating in celebrations following Pradhan's resignation.
Addressing the gathering, NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said the resignation reflected the strength of the student movement.
"The very government that was not ready to step back even an inch, that was steeped in its stubbornness and arrogance, has been brought to its knees by the students of this country. But Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is not everything," he said.
Jakhar maintained that while the primary demand seeking accountability through the minister's resignation had been achieved, the movement would continue until all pending demands of students were fulfilled.
He said the organisation would continue its nationwide campaign seeking dismissal of officials allegedly responsible for failures and irregularities in the education system, a public apology for the police action against protesters, legal and departmental action against those responsible for the alleged assault on students, and a time-bound investigation by the CBI and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into the alleged ITPI recognition scam and related irregularities.
NSUI said the agitation was "not about one individual or one resignation" but about restoring transparency, accountability and justice in the education system.
The All India Students' Association (AISA) also described the resignation as a "total victory" for the student movement, saying protests at Jantar Mantar and other centres across the country had culminated in the government conceding to key demands.
In a statement, the organisation claimed the government had agreed not only to remove Pradhan but also to withdraw cases against protesting students, release those arrested during the agitation, and provide compensation to the families of students who lost their lives.
AISA All India President Neha congratulated students and youth across the country for what she termed a "spectacular victory", while stressing that the struggle would continue beyond the minister's resignation.
"Our fight is not for one minister's resignation but for the democratisation of education. The National Testing Agency must be scrapped, and the National Education Policy, which deepens exclusion and privatisation of education, must be withdrawn," she said.
She called for an education system based on equality, accessibility, social justice and democratic participation.
"The movement has opened a new chapter in the history of democratic struggles in India. This victory belongs to the people. The struggle shall continue," she added.
Earlier in the day, former NSUI national president Varun Choudhary, in a post on X, described Pradhan's resignation as "the victory of millions of Gen Z and young Indians who stood up against a failed Modi government", while adding that "this is only the beginning" and demanding accountability for those responsible for the alleged crackdown on peaceful protesters.
The Students' Federation of India (SFI) also welcomed the resignation, terming it the outcome of sustained student mobilisation.
On social media, the organisation declared, "We fought. We won," while reiterating demands for the National Testing Agency (NTA) to be scrapped, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to be withdrawn, and justice for victims.
Celebrations also broke out at the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest site at Jantar Mantar, where founder Abhijeet Dipke announced Pradhan's resignation before supporters, calling it the first breakthrough in the outfit's 36-day agitation over the alleged NEET paper leak.
The protests, which began on June 20, intensified following police action against demonstrators on July 20 and later drew support from several student organisations and activists, including environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who undertook a prolonged hunger strike in solidarity with the movement.
While student organisations celebrated the resignation as a significant milestone, they maintained that the agitation would continue until demands relating to institutional accountability, justice for affected students and wider reforms in the education system are met.