India’s Education Minister resigns amid mounting youth protests
CJP ends country-wide agitation as Modi govt accepts key demands
New Delhi: India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned from his post, marking a major victory for the nationwide youth protest movement that had demanded he quit to take responsibility for examination paper leaks.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Pradhan announced his resignation in a statement posted on X, saying he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid escalating protests across India.
“Considering the situation that has developed at Jantar Mantar and across the country, I have sent my resignation to the honourable prime minister,” Pradhan said in his statement.
The announcement came as police fired tear gas to scatter young protesters in New Delhi, hours before their leaders were set to hold another round of talks with government ministers.
The self-styled Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has spearheaded the anti-government protests, welcomed the development, posting on its X account, “Cockroaches won.. Democracy won!”
“We have done it,” said CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke to loud cheers at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi.
“This [resignation] is for them,” he said, pointing towards a banner with the pictures of 20 students whom activists say took their lives following the exam leak.
After a third round of talks between CJP leaders and ministers — held after Pradhan’s announcement — the movement said the government had accepted “all” its demands and called off the nationwide protests.
Dipke had voiced other demands in his address at Jantar Mantar. “We are cockroaches. Once it enters, it does not leave,” he quipped.
Supporters of the “cockroach” movement had been protesting since June, but anger boiled over since police on Monday injured dozens of students, launching baton charges and firing tear gas to deter crowds of protesters marching on parliament.
A post on CJP’s X account after the talks with the government said it was agreed to provide the “maximum possible compensation for families of NEET paper leak-related suicides”. It further said all cases against those involved in the protests will be withdrawn and no action will be taken. “CJP’s 5-point exam reform charter will be considered by the govt and the CJP will meet with the govt to discuss these reforms further,” it added.
Pradhan announced his resignation before the third round of talks. The government held two rounds of talks with CJP leaders on Monday and Friday, but little headway was made initially, with the youth-led movement sticking to their demands. Among those was the demand that the families of all students who reportedly took their own lives should receive 10 million Indian rupees in compensation. Another was that action be taken against police officials involved in the July 20 crackdown on protesters and that all cases registered against students be withdrawn. The CJP had also called for a public apology from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police — a demand not mentioned in the movement’s announcement later.
Supporters of CJP, including the opposition Congress party, welcomed Pradhan’s resignation.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended his 26-day hunger strike yesterday, hailed the resignation as a “victory of democracy”.
“It’s a victory of peace, patience & perseverance,” he wrote, congratulating CJP and the Gen Z of India.
