The UN has urged authorities to protect the rights of peaceful protesters amid student-led demonstrations in Delhi over alleged NEET irregularities.
United Nations: The United Nations has said that people who wish to protest peacefully should be allowed to do so without fear of harassment, arrest or injury, amid student-led demonstrations in New Delhi over alleged NEET examination irregularities.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the UN was aware of the Delhi student protest and stressed the need to protect the rights of peaceful demonstrators.
Also Read
"We're obviously very much aware of the protests that we've seen in New Delhi," Dujarric said during a press briefing on Friday.
"It is important that people wishing to protest peacefully be allowed to do so without the fear of harassment, the fear of arrest, or the fear of injury," he added.
Dujarric said security forces have a responsibility to ensure that the rights of people participating in peaceful protests are protected.
The UN's remarks came amid weeks of student-led demonstrations in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination and demands for reforms in India's examination system.
The protests were spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical collective that evolved into a broader youth movement. The agitation began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 following allegations of a paper leak in the NEET examination, which reportedly affected around two million students who were required to take a re-examination.
The protesters also raised concerns over reports of student suicides in several states and demanded education reforms along with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On July 20, thousands of protesters attempted to march towards Parliament despite police restrictions and barricades. The ensuing police action reportedly left several protesters injured.
Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday following weeks of protests. The CJP subsequently called off its agitation, with the resignation being described as a major victory for the movement.
(With PTI inputs)
Published: 25 Jul 2026, 08:41 pm IST
Disclaimer: Kindly avoid objectionable, derogatory, unlawful and lewd comments, while responding to reports. Such comments are punishable under cyber laws. Please keep away from personal attacks. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi.