NEET aspirants stage silent protest in Visakhapatnam seeking end to caste-based reservation
Participants wore black ribbons across their mouths at the Gandhi statue; State convener S.L.N. Vasu sought a periodic review of the reservation system and minimum qualifying marks for all candidates
On August 3, 2026, a group of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants protested silently near the Gandhi statue in Visakhapatnam, India. Organized by the Jana Jagarana Samiti, the silent demonstration aimed to draw attention to the Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) GEN-Z campaign. The protesters donned black ribbons covering their mouths, symbolizing their call for the abolition of the current reservation system.
During the protest, S.L.N. Vasu, the state convenor of the Jana Jagarana Samiti, addressed the assembly of students. Mr. Vasu questioned the reservation policy, asserting that it denied opportunities to meritorious students. He urged the central government to conduct a thorough review of the policy, advocating for reservations based on economic criteria rather than caste.
Mr. Vasu also called for regular reviews of the reservation system, minimum qualifying marks for all candidates, and an end to political promises made during election seasons regarding reservations.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
