Scrap NEET, bring back medical admissions to states: PDSO protest in Visakhapatnam

Members of the Progressive Democratic Students Organization (PDSO) staged a protest near the Gandhi statue at GVMC in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of NEET and other national-level common entrance exams. | Photo credit: V. Raju

Members of the Progressive Democratic Students Organization (PDSO) on Thursday (June 25, 2026) staged a protest near the Gandhi statue at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in the city, demanding the cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and other common entrance examinations at the national level.

Addressing the protesters, PDSO District Secretary V. Lakshmi said around 23.33 lakh candidates competed for the 1.09 lakh medical posts in NEET this year, with nearly 20 to 21 aspirants applying for each seat. She further claimed that the exam paper was leaked before the test and that the ensuing confusion led to the National Testing Agency (NTA) ordering a re-examination.

Video: V. Raju pic.twitter.com/Ec82pwrqYt

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Ms Lakshmi claimed that 15 students had died by suicide across the country following this year’s controversy and that 93 students had lost their lives in the last five years. She also alleged that 89 question paper leaks and irregularities in 148 examinations conducted by the NTA affected nearly nine lakh students nationwide.

The PDSO alleged that common entrance exams like NEET, JEE and CUET put students under severe psychological stress and urged the Center to scrap them and return the power of admissions to medical colleges to the states.

The organization also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, expansion of medical colleges and hospitals, and greater investment in agriculture, pharmacy and veterinary science courses to create wider career opportunities.

PDSO District President P. Viswanadh, Vice President Satish, Assistant Secretary Janaki and students from various colleges participated in the protest.

Published – 25 Jun 2026 16:17 IST