India’s Education Minister Resigns Amid Youth Protests Over Exam Irregularities
India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned following days of mass youth-led protests demanding his removal over alleged irregularities and examination paper leaks affecting major exams.
Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday in a statement posted on X, saying he had submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protests, led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), erupted over alleged examination irregularities and have grown into a broader campaign calling for sweeping reforms in India’s education system.
Demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, a major protest site in central New Delhi, intensified throughout the week, with similar protests reportedly spreading to other parts of the country.
Tensions escalated earlier in the week when police fired tear gas and used batons as protesters attempted to march towards parliament.
The government held two rounds of talks with CJP leaders on Monday and Friday, but the discussions failed to produce a breakthrough.
The youth-led movement maintained its demands and was preparing for a third round of talks scheduled for Saturday when Pradhan announced his resignation.
In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he was saddened by the events of the previous 10 days and insisted that his decision was not motivated by personal considerations.
“I am pained to see the events of the past 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me,” he said in the letter, written in Hindi.
“India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation. My resolve is that we will not let the country’s youth get trapped in a vicious cycle of confusion.”
News of the resignation was greeted with jubilation by protesters.
“We have done it,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told hundreds of cheering demonstrators.
The protests have since expanded beyond examination concerns to include broader grievances over unemployment, limited opportunities for young people and what critics describe as the increasingly authoritarian style of Modi’s government.
The demonstrations represent one of the most significant challenges to Modi’s Hindu nationalist administration since he was re-elected in 2024.
According to CJP spokesman Ashutosh Ranka, protesters are also demanding compensation for people affected by examination irregularities and the withdrawal of legal cases filed against demonstrators.
