Hyderabad: What began as a week of protests over the alleged NEET paper leak turned into celebrations on Sunday after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union education minister, with students taking to the streets with their belief reinforced that sustained public pressure could force accountability.At Dharna Chowk, around 100 protesters distributed sweets, hugged one another and raised slogans, calling the resignation a “people’s victory.” Later in the afternoon, another rally of nearly 100 participants marched from Jal Vihar to People’s Plaza under police escort.Unlike a conventional protest, the rally resembled a carnival of dissent. Protesters danced to revolutionary and contemporary songs, waved Che Guevara flags, and wore superhero costumes, while passersby stopped to cheer.
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Two young women watching from the roadside eventually joined the procession, drawing applause from the crowd.“This is the joy of victory. We have been protesting for a long time, believing that our voices would be heard one day. Today’s celebration belongs to every student who stood up for justice,” said Jaarah Zunnoor Fatima, a 19-year-old BTech student, at Dharna Chowk.For many, the celebration represented more than a minister’s resignation.“Whenever there is injustice, Che Guevara’s ideology reminds us to resist. Even if the whole nation stands against you, you must stand for justice. I wanted to protest in Delhi but couldn’t, so this is my way of showing solidarity,” said Syed Talmeez, a 22-year-old pilot carrying a Che Guevara flag.Several participants credited social media with sustaining the movement.“This movement showed that young people can organise peacefully without traditional structures. Instagram, humour and ordinary people reporting from the ground helped build pressure. Education has now become part of the national conversation,” said a 30-year-old University of Hyderabad PhD scholar.For Adnan Ullah, a 20-year-old engineering student wearing a Spider-Man mask, the protest was deeply personal.“My sister prepared for NEET for months. Watching her struggle after the exam was heartbreaking. Today’s celebration is Gen Z’s way of saying that students deserve fairness,” he said.While celebrating what they described as the movement’s first major victory, protesters said the fight was far from over, insisting they would continue demanding broader reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in competitive examinations.
