Author: Siddhartha Dave

The recent controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in the NEET examination has reignited a familiar pattern in Indian public life. A legitimate grievance over the integrity of a national examination has rapidly evolved into a larger political confrontation, with competing narratives often overshadowing the central question: How should a democratic state respond when public trust in an institution is shaken? Whether one attributes the protests primarily to genuine concern, political mobilisation, or a combination of both, the larger issue is not merely the fate of one minister or one government. It is the credibility of the institutions responsible for conducting examinations…