The Himachal Pradesh State Committee of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) here on Thursday staged a massive protest against the NTA over the NEET exam row and courted the police to register their anger.
The activists also demanded immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Along with this, SFI demanded the abolishment of NTA, decentralisation of examinations, withdrawal of CBSE On Screen Marking (OSM) system and stern action against those found guilty of irregularities in exams. An unbiased judicial probe along with compensation to affected students was also one of the demands.
Addressing the protest, SFI State President Anil Thakur said that the over the years, NTA has become a symbol of administrative incompetence with no accountability left in the agency.
Thakur added that repeated incidents of paper leaks, cancellation of examination, technical failures and other irregularities have undermined the credibility of national-level examinations.
“As a result of these failures, crores of students from Himachal and other states are suffering since their future remains uncertain,” he added.
“Incidents such as the NEET-UG paper leak, the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination, and recurring irregularities in CUET and other examinations have completely exposed the deep crisis within the system. Behind every cancelled exam, paper leak, and technical failure lie the dreams, years of hard work, and futures of millions of students. Despite repeated failures, the continued existence of the NTA reflects the Central Government’s insensitivity towards the student community.
“Over the last ten years, around 89 incidents of paper leaks have been reported across the country. The recent controversies surrounding NEET-UG 2026 have once again raised serious questions about the credibility of the examination system and the agencies responsible for conducting these tests. These incidents clearly demonstrate that the NTA has completely failed to provide students with a reliable, transparent, and fair examination system,” he said.
Hitting out at the Education Minister and the Union Government, he said that instead of addressing these issues, the government has consistently attempted to evade responsibility and suppress the voices of students.
He further asserted that SFI would intensify its agitation and participate in the march to the Ministry of Education in New Delhi on June 19.
