On 22nd July, the Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent hearing on a petition seeking reforms to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), including the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while also alleging excessive use of force by Delhi Police against students protesting in the national capital.
The matter was mentioned before a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana. The petitioner urged the Court to list the case for hearing on Thursday, arguing that students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar had allegedly been subjected to police brutality.
As the counsel attempted to press for an urgent listing, the Chief Justice remarked, “Please don’t waste our time and don’t waste yours. Your time is more valuable than ours.”
The lawyer submitted that the petition sought significant reliefs, including ensuring a transparent and fair conduct of NEET examinations and dismantling the NTA in light of repeated allegations of examination paper leaks over the years.
Even after the Bench moved on to the next case, the counsel persisted, offering to present video footage purportedly showing police action against the protesting students. The Bench, however, declined the request, with the Chief Justice observing, “We are not interested in videos. We don’t have time to watch.”
The petition comes against the backdrop of ongoing demonstrations in Delhi by students and members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical collective. Protesters have been demanding accountability over recurring examination paper leaks and have also called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Earlier this week, protesters attempted to march towards Parliament, but Delhi Police stopped the procession. The demonstration was dispersed after police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas, with several protesters reportedly sustaining injuries during the operation. Several opposition leaders, including Gandhi duo, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, have come out of woodwork, to cash in on the transient popularity of CJP and revive their political fortunes.
The CJP movement traces its origins to oral observations made by the Supreme Court during proceedings on 15th May. While expressing concern over unemployed youth gravitating towards social media activism and filing RTI applications, Chief Justice Surya Kant had remarked that such individuals were becoming “like cockroaches” and turning into parasites in society. The Chief Justice later clarified that his remarks were directed at people possessing fake degrees who indulge in such activities, and not at unemployed youth in general.
