In a healthy democracy, student activism has always been a vital force – a crucible where ideas are sharpened , injustices challenged, and futures forged. But what we are witnessing today is a cynical hijacking of impressionable minds by India’s beleaguered and power-starved Opposition parties, desperate to manufacture anarchy where none exists. The protests over exam irregularities have been completely commandeered by the usual suspects – Congress, AAP, and their ecosystem of professional disruptors – turning legitimate grievances into a street veto.

Genuine student activism strengthens democracy, but when depraved and despondent opposition parties exploit impressionable students for their vested political gains, as is happening now, it does irreparable harm to the very cause of students. These parties, devoid of any constructive agenda after repeated electoral defeats, are using young minds as cannon fodder to create chaos and destabilise a system that is actively reforming itself. Let us be clear: the Modi government has never shied away from dialogue. Union Health Minister JP Nadda himself met the protesting students, extending an olive branch in good faith.

Democratic maturity demands conversation, not confrontation; reform, not disruption. This year’s unfortunate paper leak incident was unacceptable, and the government acted with decisive speed. Post the leaks, the government has initiated a major systemic overhaul. It was PM Modi’s government that had brought the country’s first-ever legislation against paper leaks. We stand committed to conducting the NEET exam digitally next year to eliminate vulnerabilities once and for all. Unlike the previous regimes that let leaks fester for decades without any accountability or structural fixes, this government is overhauling a flawed system inherited from the past.

While the Opposition peddles victimhood and selective outrage,........

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