'Too late!': Kolkata students reject PM Modi's NEET assurance, demand Dharmendra Pradhan's exit

Backed by several Left-affiliated organisations, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI), hundreds of protesters—mostly students—marched in Kolkata, saying they had lost faith in the Centre's response to the controversy.

The demonstrators maintained that incremental reforms announced by the government were inadequate and insisted that fixing the examination system would require political accountability.

"It's too late. It doesn't matter. Those minute educational reforms will not make any difference until and unless Dharmendra Pradhan resigns and they actually implement the reforms that Sonam Wangchuk has been demanding," said Gurbani, a Political Science student from Kolkata's The Bhawanipur Education Society College.

The protests come amid mounting pressure on the Narendra Modi government over the alleged compromise of the NEET-UG examination, with opposition parties and student organisations accusing the Centre of failing to safeguard one of the country's most important entrance tests.

In a video message released on Friday, Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the anxiety caused by paper leaks and said the government had taken several steps over the past two-and-a-half months to address the issue.

"Friends, I know that paper leak is not an ordinary issue. It is very painful for lakhs of students and their families. That is why many steps have been taken in the last two and a half months," the Prime Minister said.

He added that the Centre was strengthening the examination system through legal and administrative measures, including fast-track courts and stricter anti-cheating mechanisms, while assuring students that those responsible would not be spared.

However, many protesters dismissed the Prime Minister's remarks as belated and insufficient.

Mohammad Farhan, a student carrying a caricature of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, said the government's response had failed to inspire confidence.

"This is too late. After so many days, the Prime Minister has only given a vague response, talking about fast-track courts. That doesn't answer the questions students have been asking," he said.

Several demonstrators also expressed anger over allegations by some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters that the agitation was being driven by "anti-national" or foreign-backed forces.

"We are agents of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and we will always remain that," an agitated protester said, rejecting the accusations.

Another student from Barasat Government College echoed the sentiment shared by many at the rally.

"It has become too late. Our only demand now is the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan," the student said.

The demonstrations in Kolkata mirror protests that have spread across several parts of the country, with students, opposition parties and civil society groups demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak and calling for comprehensive reforms to India's examination system.

The issue has emerged as a major political flashpoint, with critics accusing the Centre of responding only after sustained public outrage, while the government maintains that it is committed to ensuring transparency and restoring students' faith in the examination process.

(Photos: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)