Delhi police detain students during protest at Jantar Mantar over exam issues

Over two dozen students, including members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), were detained by Delhi Police on Monday during a protest at Jantar Mantar. The demonstration was organised to voice concerns over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam and the cancellation of UGC-NET exams.

NSUI, the student wing of the Congress party, had planned a 'Chhatra Sansad Gherav' march to Parliament coinciding with the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha. However, police barricaded the area and deployed heavy security, including paramilitary forces, to prevent the march.

Protesters, carrying placards and NSUI flags, gathered in large numbers at Jantar Mantar. Some attempted to breach the barricades, while others climbed onto the structures. Police subsequently detained these students and transported them to various police stations, citing lack of permission for the march.

The Union Education Ministry has responded to calls for cancelling the May 5 NEET-UG exam, stating that reported malpractices were "localised" or "isolated" incidents. They argued against jeopardizing the careers of numerous candidates who cleared the exam legitimately.

In response to the allegations, the CBI has filed an FIR under IPC sections including criminal conspiracy and cheating.

The UGC-NET-2024 exam, conducted on June 18 for selecting junior research fellows, assistant professors, and PhD scholars, was postponed due to concerns over the "integrity of the examination."