‘24 July Night – Create Jantar Mantar All Over India!’

Left mass organisations, such as Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India Kisan Sabha, All India Democratic Women’s Organisation, Democratic Youth Federation of India and Students Federation of India, have given a joint call to intensify the students’ struggle and hold “nationwide “night vigils” on July 24 to demand a fair education policy and exam system, as well as the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. All these organisations also plan to join ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, in solidarity with the protesting students on July 24.

“The Night Vigil will begin at 10.00 p.m. and continue throughout the night with torchlight rallies and cultural programmes. People of all spheres of society, including artists, intellectuals, writers, prominent personalities and social activists, are expected to participate. Banners and boards will be erected to display photographs of police brutality and collect public signatures. The struggle will also be widely covered on social media,” said a joint press statement.

Read the full statement below:

Press Release

23 July 2026, New Delhi 

“24 July 2026 Night – Create Jantar Mantar All Over India!”

“RAAT JAGO DESH JAGO” – NIGHT VIGIL to Support Students' Struggle

Call to Workers, Farmers, Agricultural Workers, Women and Youth to Attend En Masse in Solidarity

Intensify Struggles Across India till the Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, Scrapping of the NTA, Withdrawal of NEP 2020, Compensation of Rs. 1 Crore to the Families of Suicide Victims, and the Release of Sonam Wangchuk

The five class and mass organisations - CITU, AIKS, AIAWU, AIDWA and DYFI -have called upon workers, farmers, agricultural workers, women and youth to rally in the RAAT JAGO DESH JAGO – Night Vigil called by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on the night of 24 July, to create Jantar Mantar all over India.

This call supports the massive resistance struggle being waged by the students and youth of India, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, the scrapping of the NTA, the withdrawal of NEP 2020, compensation of Rs. 1 crore to the families of the victims who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak, and the release of Sonam Wangchuk.

The Night Vigil will begin at 10.00 p.m. and continue throughout the night with torchlight rallies and cultural programmes. People of all spheres of society, including artists, intellectuals, writers, prominent personalities and social activists, are expected to participate. Banners and boards will be erected to display photographs of police brutality and collect public signatures. The struggle will also be widely covered on social media.

We salute the students and youth of the country for displaying enormous courage in successfully resisting the brutal onslaught by the Delhi Police operating under the direction of Mr. Amit Shah, while continuing their protest in a peaceful manner. We strongly condemn the atrocities committed against the protesters and the manhandling by the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF). Shocking videos have emerged showing the police manhandling even women protesters, and reports have also emerged regarding the use of pellet guns. We demand the immediate suspension of all the police personnel involved and a judicial inquiry into these high-handed actions.

The students are fighting against the highly authoritarian, pro-corporate and communal education system established by the Modi regime, which has centralised the NEET examination system, undermined the federal principles of the Constitution and turned the NTA into a fountainhead of corruption.

It is shocking that the Union Minister of State for Education, Shri Sukanta Majumdar, informed the Rajya Sabha that the NTA has no permanent employees, while its revenue from student registration fees has more than doubled from Rs. 504 crore in 2018–19 to Rs. 1,116 crore in 2023–24. Reports indicate that since its establishment in 2017, question papers have been leaked in around 100 examinations and nearly 50 re-examinations have been conducted; all these have led to suicide-death of hundreds of students.

Therefore, the struggle to save education is a struggle to save India’s future generation and thus future of India. We call upon all democratic, secular and progressive sections to come forward in solidarity and ensure that this struggle succeeds and the Modi government is compelled to accept these just demands.

Issued By,

Elamaram Kareem – CITU 

Vijoo Krishnan – AIKS
B. Venkat – AIAWU
Konanika Ghosh – AIDWA
Himaghnaraj Bhattacharyya – DYFI