NEET-UG protests: Listen to Gen Zs, don’t repress them, Supreme Court advices
The Supreme Court of India has advised the government to use reasoning and counseling rather than force when dealing with student protesters involved in the NEET-UG paper leak demonstrations. The court emphasized the importance of listening to the youth.
Why it matters
It addresses the balance between maintaining public order and respecting the democratic right to protest, particularly among the student population.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) struck a parental tone, saying reasoning with students, youths and organisers involved in the NEET-UG paper leaks protests would be a better option than taking an aggressive tone with them.
“A better way is to counsel them, pacify them… The most powerful resource is reasoning. To listen to them. The government knows how to deal with it,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a retired Air Force officer, Manish Kumar Solanki, who said the government was on the “backfoot” bringing the “so-called organisers” of the Cockroach Janta Party-linked (CJP) demonstration against the paper leak and the ensuing police crackdown and violence which rocked the national capital on July 20.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in