Student unions protest seeking NEET retest, take out huge rally in Hyderabad 

Over 4,000 students rally against NEET (UG) irregularities, demanding re-test and justice, led by NSUI Telangana president.

A large gathering of students took out a rally protesting the irregularities in the conduct of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET (UG), as they described it ‘NEET scam’, and demanded a re-test.

The gathering of young students, well over 4,000 in number, holding students’ unions flags of various colours and banners, marched from Himayatnagar circle, Liberty Junction and reached Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Statue on Tank Bund. The rally that began at around 10 a.m. divided the arterial road into two and the vehicles in the busy morning hour moved slowly.

According to National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) Telangana president and MLC Balmoor Venkat, who led a dozen students and youth rights organisations, the rally signifies six demands: reconducting NEET, inquiry into the scam by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, a public apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, abolishing National Testing Agency, allowing States to conduct NEET, and deliver transparency and justice to the affected NEET (UG) students and their families.

Speaking to media persons, he said: “The future course in the State is to build pressure against BJP Ministers in Telangana – G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar – in all their meetings. And further, Chalo Delhi programme.”

Progressive Democratic Students Federation president Avula Nagaraj demanded strict punishment against the organisers of the test. He said that Mr. Modi must own up responsibility for the mistakes that disturbed the lives of 24 lakh young students.

The collective of the students’ unions in the rally included SFI, AISF, VJS, PYC, DYFI, AIYF, PYL, YJS, and other youth organisations.