AISA Says NEET Protest Movement Will Continue Despite Minister's Resignation, Demands Release of Arrested Students

Bengaluru, July 27, 2026: The All India Students' Association (AISA) on Monday reaffirmed that the nationwide student movement that emerged following allegations of irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG 2026 examination will continue, even after the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a series of posts on social media, the student organisation said its struggle has now expanded beyond the demand for ministerial accountability to include the release of arrested student protesters, the withdrawal of criminal cases, and broader reforms to India's education system.

AISA said thousands of students gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, where the organisation was among those leading a protest calling for justice for those affected by the NEET controversy. Protesters carried banners reading "End Police State Now," "Release All Student Protesters," and "Drop All Criminal Cases," while raising slogans, holding placards and addressing the crowd on issues of examination integrity and democratic rights. The demonstration remained largely peaceful throughout.

In a post on X, AISA said the Bengaluru demonstration reflected the continuing momentum of the student movement, with large crowds gathering at Freedom Park behind a central demand to end what the organisation described as police overreach.

Protesters were united in calling for the release of detained students and the withdrawal of criminal cases filed against them, the post said, signalling that the campaign was far from over.

In one post on X, AISA wrote:

"End Police State Now! Release all the student protestors & drop all the criminal cases against them! The fight isn't over yet."

The organisation was also careful to signal that it does not consider Pradhan's resignation the end of the movement, suggesting in a separate, more informally worded post that while the resignation marked a significant political development, protesters believe further action is still needed to address the concerns raised over weeks of demonstrations.

Speaking at a press conference in Patna on Monday, AISA's All India President, Neha Bora, said the organisation would continue its campaign until every arrested student protester is released, framing the right to dissent as a constitutional guarantee that no government could take away.

"Jab tak har arrested student protestor riha nahi hota, movement rukne wala nahi. The right to dissent is a constitutional right, not a crime. No government can take that away," Bora said.

The current wave of student protests began after allegations of large-scale irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. Demonstrations were initially centred on demands for accountability over the examination process, stricter safeguards against paper leaks, and the resignation of those responsible for overseeing the system. The protests later expanded to include concerns over police action against protesters and broader education reforms.

As the protests spread across several Indian states, clashes between demonstrators and police at some locations led to arrests and criminal cases being filed against protesters. Student organisations have since broadened their campaign to include demands for the release of detained students and the withdrawal of the legal cases filed against them.

Pradhan's resignation on July 25 was viewed by many protesters as a significant development. However, organisations such as AISA argue that systemic reforms remain necessary to restore confidence in India's competitive examination system.

Protesters at Monday's gathering reiterated several demands:

• Release all arrested student protesters.
• Withdraw criminal cases filed against protesters.
• End the Police State and protect the constitutional right to peaceful protest and dissent.
• Implement broader systemic reforms in the education and examination system.

Freedom Park has emerged as one of the main centres of the student movement in southern India, and Monday's protest featured speeches, slogans, banners and student participation throughout the day. Photographs shared by AISA showed large crowds gathered under the organisation's banners, with many participants carrying placards calling for justice, accountability and education reforms. While police responses to demonstrations in other parts of the country have drawn criticism from several student groups, the Bengaluru gathering itself appeared to remain largely peaceful based on videos and photographs shared from the event, with no major incidents reported during the gathering.

Student organisations maintain that the movement has evolved into a broader campaign focused on transparency in public examinations, institutional accountability and democratic rights. AISA has said the protests will continue until its demands regarding arrested students and pending criminal cases are addressed. Whether the movement sustains its nationwide momentum in the coming weeks is likely to depend on the government's response to these demands and on any further reforms announced for India's examination system.