CJP and Centre Conclude Third Round of NEET Talks Amid Resignation Demands

Negotiations Between Centre and CJP Over NEET-UG

The government delegation for the talks included Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh. The CJP was represented by its national spokesperson, Ashutosh Ranka, and chief spokesperson, Saurav Das. These talks followed two previous rounds of discussions held on July 20 at the residence of JP Nadda.

Core Demands and Government Response

The CJP has presented three primary demands to the Centre regarding the NEET-UG controversy. Central to the party’s position is the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. CJP leadership has described this demand as non-negotiable, asserting that no other outcome will be considered acceptable and that their protests will continue until he is removed from his post.

While the government has remained firm regarding the Education Minister, seeking time to deliberate on the matter, it has shown movement on other fronts. According to CJP spokespersons, the government has provided “in-principle” approval to two of the party’s secondary demands: * Providing ₹1 crore in financial compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the paper leak. * The withdrawal of all FIRs and legal cases registered against students participating in the protests.

Government officials have not yet issued a formal, public declaration confirming these concessions, though CJP representatives indicated that the Centre requested time until Saturday afternoon to finalize its official position on the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

Government Focus on Systemic Reform

While the CJP continues to press for the resignation of the Education Minister, government sources have suggested that the administration is prioritizing broad structural reforms over personnel changes. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has already begun a restructuring process intended to increase accountability and restore confidence in the examination system.

Planned reforms include the outsourcing of staff, the strengthening of examination security protocols, and a shift toward computer-based NEET-UG examinations starting in 2027. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in recent social media statements, acknowledged that paper leaks are not an ordinary matter and pledged that the government would take stricter action against those responsible for examination irregularities.

Stakes of the Ongoing Protest

The negotiations occur against a backdrop of intensified security and political pressure. The Centre has deployed additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Delhi to manage the ongoing protests and the Parliament’s Monsoon Session. A five-layer security setup, including multiple barricades, was established around Jantar Mantar to control the area surrounding the demonstration.

The political climate remains volatile, with other opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, also criticizing the government’s handling of the protests and supporting the students’ demands. As the third round of talks concludes, the CJP maintains that its presence at Jantar Mantar will persist until its core demands are met. The outcome of the government’s internal discussions regarding the Education Minister is expected to be a deciding factor in whether the current unrest continues or moves toward a resolution.