"The cockroach movement is a revolt of India’s non-topper class against a theory of citizenship that has governed the country for decades. Merit works as moral immunity. The non-toppers no longer see this as their failure, but that of the prescribed route. They are not waiting to become toppers before they speak. They are redefining nationalism beyond tokenistic patriotism. The non-topper wants to be the author of policy rather than its object. Their ‘lack’ of achievement does not disqualify them from respect and authority. By demanding the right to matter without a rank, the movement is reclaiming dignity from a system that converts structural failure into personal shame. The cockroach survives. It outlasts those who try to stamp it out. A republic that treats its citizens as pests will eventually discover that they are the republic."
- Prannv Dhawan, Indian Express, (9/11)
“Government medical college seats are 100% filled, vacancies are confined entirely to the private sector. Colleges and state fee-fixation committees must re-examine these fee structures, because lowering NEET qualifying cut-offs will not resolve an affordability crisis when millions of candidates already qualify. The vacancies are an indicator that qualifying for medical admission does not necessarily mean students could afford a seat. Institutions charge full fees to early applicants and offer discounts to late entrants to fill the vacant seats. It reflects a purely commercial approach that compromises merit while still failing to fill classrooms. High management-quota fees are putting seats beyond the reach of many candidates. Some 24 lakh students write the entrance test for 1.4 lakh seats. While the cream gets government seats, the rest of the students cannot afford a management-quota seat.”
