Supreme Court Quashes NEET Protest FIRs, Orders Compensation for Families

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday quashed all first information reports registered against students who participated in nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak crisis, while also directing the central government to provide compensation within three months to the families of students who died by suicide in connection with the examination controversy. The ruling prompted the Cockroach Janta Party to call off a protest march it had scheduled for September 5.

The decision came during a hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, urged the court to exercise its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to close the cases. He stated that the government was committed to assurances it had given to the CJP and would compensate the families of students who died after the NEET examination was cancelled and subsequently retested. Mehta sought a three-month timeline to finalize the payment modalities.

In response to the Centre's assurances, CJP co-convenor Saurav Das informed the court that the organization was withdrawing its planned September 5 protest march from India Gate to the Police Headquarters....