Students, NEET aspirants protest in Solan, demand Pradhan's resignation

Shimla: Students associated with outfits in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti protested here, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak. The protesters gathered at Children's Park and denounced the minister with slogans. Earlier, CITU also staged a protest in Solan, in which hundreds of youths, city residents, and various organisations participated.

The protesters said the central government is anti-education and anti-youth, and claimed that the education system in the country has fallen into a state of complete disarray. Bhavika, a NEET aspirant, criticised the recurring paper leaks and re-exams. "The greatest cost of this is being borne by crores of students, youth, and their families," she said.

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The protesters took exception to Pradhan's silence over the suicide of several students post-NEET paper leaks. "Lakhs of government posts remain vacant, yet no recruitment is taking place, while scams are repeatedly occurring," said Puran Chand, who expressed solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk, currently in Delhi.

Another aspirant, Gurpreeet Singh, said paper leaks and recruitment scams are not merely administrative failures but a mockery of the dreams of lakhs of young people. "We stand with Sonam Wangchuk and Dharmendra Pradhan must resign," he added.