Delhi ends legal action against NEET protesters

The Delhi government announced on July 30 that it will not pursue further legal action against individuals who participated in recent student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET UG exam, provided they have no prior criminal record. The order, issued by the government's Home Department, effectively closes the matter for most protesters and directs authorities to expedite the review and release of those already arrested.

This decision follows a Supreme Court order from July 28, which directed all states to release students under 18 detained during nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, as long as they have no criminal antecedents. The Court also temporarily prohibited coercive action against students and ordered the preservation of electronic evidence, while observing that allegations of police excesses warranted an independent investigation.

The Delhi government's order formalizes this directive locally. It states that no adverse legal action will be taken by police against those involved in the protests, and that the matter will be treated as closed without future proceedings. However, the order explicitly excludes individuals with criminal...