NEET aspirants stage silent protest in Visakhapatnam seeking end to caste-based reservation

Students, black ribbons across their mouths, hold placards at a silent protest near the Gandhi statue at the GVMC office in Visakhapatnam on Monday, seeking changes to the reservation policy. | Photo Credit: V. Raju Students preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), under the banner of the Jana Jagarana Samiti, staged a silent protest near the Gandhi statue at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on Monday (August 3, 2026) in support of the Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) GEN-Z campaign. Participants wore black ribbons across their mouths and sought the abolition of the existing reservation system.Addressing the gathering, Jana Jagarana Samiti State convener S.L.N. Vasu questioned the reservation policy and alleged that it denied opportunities to meritorious students. He asked the Centre to review the policy and said reservations should be based on economic criteria instead of caste. He also sought a periodic review of the reservation system, minimum qualifying marks for all candidates, and an end to election-time promises on reservations. Published - August 03, 2026 03:21 pm IST