Student wing activists of different political parties join in a rally demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement, in Kolkata, India on Friday.Bikas Das/The Associated Press
India’s education minister resigned on Saturday, handing a major victory to youth protesters whose street protests over examination paper leaks had become a serious challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Celebrations erupted at the Jantar Mantar site in the capital New Delhi, which has served as the main protest hub for days, with thousands of youngsters chanting victory slogans and dancing. The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, which spearheaded the demonstrations, said it would now end its protests.
“We have done it,” said Abhijeet Dipke, CJP’s founder, to loud cheers at the site.
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India’s biggest street protests of recent years had become a major problem for Modi this week as some opposition politicians voiced support for the youths and disrupted parliament proceedings. Scenes of unprecedented protests and police use of tear gas to control protesters had also fuelled public anger, though authorities defended their actions saying they were only ensuring law and order.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation in a post on X.
“Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation...I have sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister,” Pradhan wrote.
“I deeply respect the aspirations, feelings, and legitimate expectations of the country’s youth.”
The protesters had demanded his resignation over the leak of the high-profile medical college entrance test paper in May, which led to the cancellation of results and a retest which affected two million young people.
Students celebrate the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in Amritsar on July 25 during an ongoing protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at New Delhi's jantar Mantar over alleged NEET examination irregularities.NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images
The protests also reflected growing anger in India over job scarcity and government accountability.
Pradhan’s resignation is “a victory of peace, patience & perseverance,” activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike for 26 days to support the youngster’s movement, wrote on X.
Health minister J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, a junior minister in Modi’s office, later held a joint press conference with some CJP leaders at which the CJP announced the end of its protests under agreement that the government will not take action against any protesters.
As the protests intensified this week, Modi departed from his usual mode of scripted addresses and monthly radio broadcasts to post a personal, self-shot video, saying he was pained by the exam paper leaks and would take strict action. The protesters said they would not relent unless the education minister resigned.
On Saturday, youngsters at the Jantar Mantar site shouted “Jai Hind,” a patriotic slogan meaning “Victory to India,” as the national anthem played on loud speakers and sweets were distributed among the crowd.
At least 1,000 police officials stood nearby guarding the area, according to Reuters journalists at the site.
Roads around the central business district of Connaught Place near the protest site were shut down amid celebrations and a swelling crowd of thousands of protesters.
Pradhan, 57, a senior member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the son of a veteran BJP leader, had been education minister since 2021.
After news of his resignation, federal authorities restored access to the mobile internet around the protest site, after blocking it for most of the week.
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“Young generation is here. This is win for the constitution,” protester Tluanga Ralte said, walking with a copy of the Indian constitution at the protest site after Pradhan’s resignation. “We are not a lazy generation.”
Supporters of India’s “cockroach” movement had been protesting since June, but anger boiled over after police on Monday injured dozens of students, launching baton charges and firing tear gas to deter crowds of protesters marching on parliament.
Opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi welcomed the education minister’s resignation, but said those who hurt the students during protests “have to be held accountable” and Modi must apologize for such use of force.