Various student groups demonstrated outside Lucknow University today, June 20, against the Central government over the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reports PTI.

According to the report, the students, mostly comprising of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sangh and National Students' Union of India (NSUI), gathered outside Bhaurao Deoras Dwar of the Lucknow University and raised slogans against the Union Grants Commission (UGC), National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Union Education Ministry.

Holding a placard demanding the resignation of Pradhan, one of the protesters told the media, "We worked hard for over a year for the NET exam which has been cancelled. This is injustice to us and strictest action should be taken against those responsible for it."

On Wednesday, June 19, the Ministry of Education (MoE) ordered the cancellation of the UGC-NET (National Eligibility Test) conducted by the NTA. The decision came following inputs that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised. The ministry also informed that the matter has been handed over to the CBI for a thorough investigation, reports PTI.

As the protesting students were prevented from entering the university campus by the security staff, they sat outside and continued their protest.