New Delhi [India], July 24 : The Union Government has reportedly given a positive nod to compensating victims' families and waiving legal cases against student activists involved in the NEET paper leak protests.
Following high-level discussions with Union Minister JP Nadda, CJP representatives confirmed that the Centre showed "significant in-principle agreement" while further talks remain underway.
CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said the government had responded positively to some demands, while Union Minister JP Nadda added that the government would hold another meeting with the representatives.
Das said the party placed four key demands before the government during a meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, including compensation for families who lost their children allegedly due to the examination system and withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
Nadda, after the nearly two-hour-long meeting, said the CJP delegation raised three main demands and five suggestions for reforms in the examination process.
"The meeting went on for almost 2 hours...They had 3 main demands and 5 reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion we had among the Government," Nadda said.
"The meeting went on for almost two hours. They had three main demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion we had among the Government," he said.
Meanwhile, Das added that the government had responded positively to some of them, and that the Centre, in principle, accepted the demands related to compensation and withdrawal of FIRs.
Speaking at Jantar Mantar, Das said, "When Ashutosh and I went there, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh were also present...We clearly conveyed, both verbally and in writing, our three main demands...The first demand, which is non-negotiable, is that either Dharmendra Pradhan should resign or the government should dismiss him from the Cabinet. The second demand is compensation of Rs 1 crore for every family whose child died by suicide due to this broken and corrupt NEET education system. The third demand is that all our brothers and sisters who were peacefully protesting here but faced police brutality and had FIRs registered against them should have those FIRs withdrawn. No FIRs should be filed against anyone."
He further demanded that no fresh FIRs be filed against protesters and that the government provide a written sovereign guarantee ensuring that no one would be targeted in the future.
"Furthermore, the government should provide us with a sovereign guarantee in writing that no one will be targeted in the future. We also told them about our fourth point--our five-point policy demand charter...The government showed a positive response to our second and third demands: compensation, withdrawal of FIRs, and a written sovereign guarantee that such FIRs would not be filed in the future. The government said that, in principle, it accepts these two demands. Therefore, we have been called for another meeting tomorrow," he further said.
CJP's Ashutosh Ranka also said that the government gave a "very positive response to two of our three main demands".
"The government gave a very positive response to two of our three main demands. It showed significant in-principle agreement on the demand for Rs 1 crore compensation and on the legal cases we raised. This includes not only the FIRs that have already been filed but also our demand for a sovereign guarantee that no FIRs or legal cases will be filed against the protesters in the future," Ranka told reporters.
He said that he hopes to get a written assurance from the government regarding the fulfilment of their demands, adding, "There has been a very positive response from the government on both compensation and legal protection. It has agreed to these demands in principle, and we hope that we will soon receive a written agreement in this regard."
While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharpened his attack on the Modi government over the NEET-UG row, alleging that Dharmendra Pradhan is a "criminal Education Minister" and "has to go".
Talking to the media here, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said that there are three demands of students, including action against those who resorted to lathicharge against students during the "Sansad Chalo' march on July 20.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the youth.
"Dharmendra Pradhan is a criminal Education Minister. He has to be removed. He is a symbol of the collapse of our education system. He has to go. He is the reason why thousands of people are outside. He has to go," Rahul Gandhi said.
"The person responsible for the paper leak should be sacked. There should be action against those who indulged in lathi-charged, attacked students. Narendra Modiji, who is the operator of the system, should apologise to the youth....Stop threatening youth, fulfil their demands," he added.
For weeks, Jantar Mantar in New Delhi has turned into a rallying ground for India's youth. What began as anger over botched exams has grown into one of the largest student-led movements in recent years.
The spark was simple and painful: the exams that decide futures were compromised. Thousands of NEET-UG aspirants alleged their question papers were leaked. At the same time, CBSE students reported major errors in on-screen marking and revaluation. For many families, it wasn't just about marks. It was about trust in the system collapsing.
Youth groups and student unions said enough. Led by the Cockroach Janta Party -- a youth movement fronted by Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das -- students started gathering at Jantar Mantar. They were soon joined by AISA, AISF, SFI and other student outfits. Prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk also came, launching a 26-day hunger strike in solidarity before pausing it after government assurances.
Three demands have stayed constant: The immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A complete overhaul of the National Testing Agency and tougher anti-paper leak laws and compensation for families of students impacted by exam stress and suicides, and withdrawal of FIRs against demonstrators.The turning point
On July 20, the movement escalated. Tens of thousands joined the "Sansad Chalo" march from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament. Barricades went up. Police responded with tear gas and lathi-charges. Dozens on both sides were injured.
The crackdown triggered outrage across party lines and led to legal petitions alleging excessive force. Police, in turn, blamed anti-social elements for stone-pelting and instigating violence.
The government has moved. It sacked 47 NTA officials and announced a full structural revamp of the agency. The Union Cabinet also cleared a draft bill proposing harsher penalties and fast-track courts for paper leaks.