The Supreme Court ruled on August 4, 2026, that state governments have the legal authority to withdraw FIRs filed against students involved in recent recruitment protests.
The clarification follows the Gujarat government's decision to drop cases against NEET paper leak protesters, setting a precedent for other states to follow suit.
While the Centre maintains that FIRs involving heinous criminal acts will remain, the court's directive aims to prevent the criminalization of students seeking academic justice.