Post Pradhan’s resignation, protestors in Chennai say abolishing NEET is their goal
Protesters in Chennai continue to demonstrate for the abolition of the NEET exam despite the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Activists are now pushing for the Centre to grant Tamil Nadu an exemption from the national testing system.
Why it matters
The ongoing protests highlight the persistent regional tension between state-level educational autonomy and national standardized testing policies in India.
As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tendered his resignation from the Cabinet on Saturday, protesters at the CPI State Office continued their demonstrations, now seeking the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
On Saturday, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced on X that they would withdraw their nationwide agitation, stating that all their demands, including Pradhan’s resignation and compensation for the families of the deceased who ended their lives over the NEET paper leak, were met by the Union government. However, placards and speeches throughout Chennai’s CPI State office echoed that the resignation was only the beginning.
Human rights activist and movement co-ordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi spoke to The Hindu about the goal for the extended protest. “While NEET abolition is the larger demand, we want assent (from the Centre) for the exemption of Tamil Nadu from NEET,” he said.
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