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I write this letter to all my friends who turned up at Jantar Mantar on July 20, 2026. I think we deserve a big pat on our back for coming out in such large numbers. We woke up what they call the ‘mother of democracy’ from the slumber it had entered 12 years ago with our sheer numbers and unyielding determination.

It is our fearlessness to ask questions which will ensure that representatives elected by us – from the village-mukhiya, ward member or zilla parishad member to the MLA, MP, prime minister or president – all of whom have been happily ruling, enjoying themselves while we toil underneath, would get up and listen. Let it be known to them, the time for andh-bhakti is over! Hum jaag gaye hain aur aapko gaur se dekh rahe hain. Aur aapko ye bhi bata den ki aapke lakshan theek nahin lag rahe hain (we have woken up and we are watching you carefully. And let us tell you that your intentions don’t appear to be nice).

A group of protesters in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. Photo: Special Arrangement.

Since the last eight weeks, people like us, in different parts of the country and on social media have raised our voice against the NEET paper leak and the corruption that has spread like wildfire into our very education system. This is not the first time this paper has been leaked, but in fact it is a repeat episode that has been recurring annually for the last four years.

Several students have committed suicide because of the deplorable situation, 22 of which happened this time in only a matter of a few days. I feel that the right way to put it is to say students are institutionally murdered by the corrupt National Testing Agency (NTA) through its paper leaks and examination business.

This consecutive-yearly leaking of the paper shows that this is not just the work of a few corrupt individuals who are misusing the system, but instead, that the system is rigged to ensure the paper leaks every year. It is a system that is built on an impoverished understanding of education, not meant for emancipation or progression of society, but as business meant to make profits or a commodity that can be bought and sold on the market.

This chingari (fire) of the NEET paper leak scam has brought us together, not only in the digital sphere but also in the public sphere. It has given us the strength and courage to come together in a beautiful collective solidarity to show the government that we reject this corrupt education system and everything that comes out of it. It is not just students of NEET exam, but those who might give the exam in the future, those who are facing issues in other exams and many more such who are here.

Illustration: Pencil Ashan.

To avail justice for the lives of those who committed suicide after the NEET paper leak, we will need to identify the individuals and institutions who were involved in this. We will need to understand the history and........

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