Students and parents staged a relay hunger strike at the Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Sunday demanding that the number of seats in government medical colleges in the State be increased according to the National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.The protesting persons, members of NEET Parents Association, also demanded that the 36-hour workload being imposed on undergraduate and postgraduate students undergoing internships be reduced immediately.The association members also said that medical colleges should be provided with adequate infrastructure and that educational standards should be improved. They also demanded that stipends for students undergoing internships be increased in line with rising prices of essential commodities.Supporting their demands, members of All India Students’ Federation and All India Youth Federation said the State government should also take immediate steps to put a stop to ragging and student suicides. Published - August 09, 2026 07:50 pm IST