Gujarat: Students, Congress hold candle march over NEET aspirant’s death

Ahmedabad, June 27 (IANS) A candle march under the banner ‘Chhatron Ki Gunj’ was held in Ahmedabad on Saturday from Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan to the statue of Swami Vivekananda at Town Hall, with participants raising concerns over examination irregularities, student welfare and the safety of academic futures.

The march, organised by youth groups, drew students, youth leaders, and citizens who gathered to highlight grievances over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations.

Participants said repeated incidents of examination malpractice, including those linked to medical entrance tests such as NEET, had created anxiety, uncertainty and psychological stress among students across the country.

The demonstration also paid tribute to Kahan Patel, a student from Gujarat, during the programme.

Organisers said that Patel had died by suicide amid distress related to examination pressure and uncertainty surrounding the examination process.

Patel was a 17-year-old NEET aspirant from Ahmedabad who died after reportedly jumping from the sixth floor of a residential building.

The incident came amid ongoing student concerns about the impact of examination disruptions and alleged paper leaks affecting national-level tests.

Speakers and participants at the march demanded strict legal action against those responsible for examination-related irregularities, along with reforms to make the examination system more transparent, reliable and accountable.

They also called for stronger safeguards to prevent students’ academic futures from being adversely affected by administrative failures or malpractice.

“The purpose of this initiative was to provide a platform for students to voice concerns over education-related issues and to draw public attention to the need for transparency in the examination system,” they said.

Representatives of various student and political organisations were present at the march, including All India Congress Committee national secretary Ramkishan Oza, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi, Gujarat Youth Congress president Praveensinh Vanol, Gujarat NSUI president Narendra Solanki, Ahmedabad City Congress Committee president Sonal Patel and AICC Minority Department national vice president Shahnawaz Sheikh.

A large number of NSUI and Youth Congress workers, along with students from different colleges and associates of Kahan Patel, also participated.

–IANS

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