Various student outfits under the banner “India against NTA” staged second day of their indefinite sit-in at Delhi`s Jantar Mantar on Thursday to protest against alleged irregularities in several centrally held examinations like NEET-UG, PG and UGC-NET, reported PTI.
As per the PTI report, the students gathered in large numbers at the Jantar Mantar with `dhaplis` and posters and banners that featured slogans like “justice for NEET applicants”, “NTA`s failure puts our future in danger” and “paper leaks have one solution, NTA`s dissolution.”
Newly elected CPI (ML) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh also participated in the protest in solidarity with the students and addressed the gathering.
As per the PTI report, the protest was jointly staged by left backed students` groups like All India Students Association (AISA), Delhi University`s Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), Disha students organisation, among others.
Earlier on Wednesday, the student outfits started the protest at the Jantar Mantar. They were detained later in the day for attempting to continue the demonstration for the entire night.
Over a dozen students were detained by the Delhi Police from the site ending the protest as staging demonstration after 5 pm is not allowed at the protest site
The students demanded scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue, said the PTI report.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra government on Thursday decided to handover the investigation of all matters related to NEET case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the officials said, according to the ANI.
The CBI has made first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case, taking into custody two persons from Patna, officials said Thursday, according to the PTI.
The suspects identified as Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination where they were given leaked papers and answer keys, the officials said.
The CBI has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.
The NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country, as per the PTI.