Goa NEET protest stooped to 'lowest intellectual level’, says CM Sawant; questions Umar Khalid placards
The Goa police last week detained two youth in Panaji for allegedly expressing support for jailed student activist Umar Khalid during celebrations over Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of Goa expressed disappointment on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) regarding the recent student protest over the NEET exam, deeming it to have reached the "lowest intellectual level". During the Goa Shiksha Samagam 2026 inauguration in Panaji, Sawant criticized the demonstration for diverting from its original purpose by featuring placards demanding the release of activist Umar Khalid, whose arrest is connected to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Sawant questioned why such issues were raised during a protest centered on NEET, the national entrance exam for medical and dental colleges in India. The Chief Minister emphasized that students have the right to protest, but the conduct and messaging displayed during the recent agitation were not representative of genuine student movements.
Additionally, Sawant alleged that outsiders were brought in to participate in the protest, urging citizens to review the event's videos. The National Education Policy (NEP), which celebrated its sixth anniversary on July 29, 2026, was also discussed, with Sawant highlighting the State's commendable implementation of the policy, which took six years to be fully understood and applied.
He stressed that education should not merely focus on obtaining degrees but also develop life skills and critical thinking abilities in students.
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