Student movement's outcome larger than Pradhan's resignation: AISA chief Neha Bora

Business To Business, Kolkata, 11 August 2026:  AISA president Neha Bora on Tuesday said the outcome of the prolonged student movement against the alleged NEET paper leak should not be viewed merely as the resignation of a Union education minister, but as a victory for democratic accountability.
Bora said the movement challenged those who, in her words, present themselves as being above accountability before citizens.
Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about following the advice of elders during his youth, Bora argued that India's democratic system should allow citizens to question even senior leaders and ministers when they believe they are wrong.
Role in the protest
Bora said she had joined activist Sonam Wangchuk in a 23-day hunger strike in Delhi during the student movement over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
According to the account cited by Bora, the protest began at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and continued for 36 days, concluding on July 25 following the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Bora maintained that the larger achievement of the movement was the assertion that elected representatives and ministers must remain answerable to citizens, rather than simply the change in political office.