LUCKNOW, May 15 -- Students from various organisations staged protests at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) and Lucknow University on Thursday against the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the country's growing examination scam crisis. At BBAU, Students' Federation of India (SFI) led the protest burning an effigy of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Gate No. 1. The protesters termed the National Testing Agency (NTA) a 'corrupt body' and demanded its immediate dissolution along with the minister's resignation. SFI unit secretary Sapan and Manjesh alleged that the NTA has consistently failed to conduct secure examinations, suggesting that the paper leak is a result of government-protected coaching mafias. Another activist Ankit highlighted the mental agony of over 2.2 million aspirants, stating that such repeated failures push students toward hopelessness and suicide. The SFI vowed to continue its nationwide agitation until accountability is fixed and the "centralisation of education" is halted. While at LU, organisations including the All India Students' Association (AISA), National Students Youth Federation (NSYF), Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF) and Bhagat Singh Students' Morcha (BSM), staged the protest at Gate No 1. Following the demonstration, the students submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India. The students raised slogans like 'Scrap NTA,' 'Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign,' 'Stop Paper Leaks,' and 'Stop the Privatisation of Education.' They highlighted that dozens of recruitment and entrance examinations nationwide have been compromised by paper leaks and scams in recent years, affecting crores of students and youth. Shantam Nidhi, president of AISA LU unit, stated that the youth today face examination scams, unemployment, and increasing privatisation of education. "Lakhs of students spend years preparing with immense hard work and financial struggle, yet the government has failed to ensure a fair and transparent examination system," Nidhi said. Anil Raj, national president of NSYF, argued that repeated paper leaks prove the government's lack of seriousness regarding the future of the youth. He noted that while employment opportunities are shrinking, competitive examinations are being pushed into the hands of "corruption networks and examination mafias," forcing hardworking students to live with "insecurity and hopelessness." Varun Azad, vice-president of BASF, highlighted that the gradual handover of the education system to the market and private corporations is disproportionately impacting "poor, rural, Dalit, backward, and working-class students." Deepankar from BSM concluded that when the few centralised examinations on which a large number of youth depend are repeatedly compromised by corruption and leaks, the issue "ceases to be merely an administrative failure and becomes a question of social justice."...