India, July 28 -- The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) organised a Mashal Juloos (torchlight procession), describing the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as "a victory for the student youth movement" while asserting that the agitation for education reforms would continue. The march began at 9 p.m. from Barak Hostel and concluded at the university's Main Gate, drawing participation from students and activists. In posters released ahead of the event, the students' union termed the resignation a milestone in the ongoing movement but declared that "the fight continues".
Besides celebrating what it described as a major achievement, the procession highlighted a series of unresolved demands. Protesters reiterated their call for the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Education Policy (NEP), alleging that recent controversies surrounding entrance examinations had exposed systemic shortcomings in the country's higher education framework. The demonstration also demanded the immediate removal of the police outpost located near JNU's North Gate, with the students' union alleging that its presence represented excessive policing on the campus.
Participants further condemned what they described as the "unlawful and arbitrary incarceration" of several student activists and political workers. The march sought the release of individuals including former JNUSU president Dhananjay and student leaders and activists associated with organisations such as the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI). The torchlight procession comes a day after Pradhan stepped down as Union Education Minister following weeks of student-led protests over examination-related issues. While protesters hailed the resignation as a significant political victory, JNUSU leaders maintained that their movement would continue until their broader demands on education policy, examination reforms and campus autonomy are addressed.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.