Members of the Students Islamic Organisation of India and the Solidarity Youth Movement, along with students and activists, taking out a protest rally in Basavakalyan on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Basavakalyan unit, and the Solidarity Youth Movement (SYM) jointly organised a protest rally and public meeting in Basavakalyan on Thursday, condemning the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, the alleged police action against students protesting in New Delhi, and the demolition order issued against Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.The rally commenced at Gandhi Chowk and culminated in a public meeting at Ambedkar Chowk after passing through the town. A memorandum addressed to the President of India was submitted to local authorities, urging reforms in the national examination system and protection of students’ rights.Speaking at the public meeting, Zabiullah Khan, president of the SYM, alleged that students protesting in Delhi had been subjected to excessive police force and called for an independent inquiry into the alleged NEET irregularities.He demanded that the National Testing Agency (NTA) be scrapped and national entrance examinations be decentralised to ensure greater transparency and accountability. He also sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him morally responsible for the alleged irregularities in the examination system.Mujtahid Omer, president of the SIO, said education was a fundamental right and urged the authorities to ensure that the admission process remained transparent, fair and accessible to all students. He also reiterated the demand for the abolition of the NTA and decentralisation of national entrance examinations. Asad Ullah Khan, State secretary of SYM, urged the Union government to address the concerns raised by students, safeguard their constitutional right to education and withdraw the demolition order against Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.Earlier, Riyaz Patel of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights criticised the recurring examination irregularities and alleged paper leaks, saying they had eroded students’ confidence in the education system.Advocate Rajshree, Zoha of the Girls Islamic Organisation , Sandeep Mukhunde of the Karnataka Vidyarthi Sangha and Zulfeqar Chabukswar of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also addressed the gathering, calling for transparency in examinations, equal access to education and protection of students’ rights.The memorandum demanded the scrapping and decentralisation of the NTA, an independent inquiry into the alleged NEET irregularities, a fair and transparent examination system, withdrawal of the demolition order against Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and measures to safeguard students’ constitutional right to education.Students and representatives different organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Karnataka Vidyarthi Sangha, participated in the rally, raising slogans in support of education reforms and justice for students.SIO_Agitation_(2) Published - July 23, 2026 06:48 pm IST
