India’s education minister resigns after days of ‘Cockroach’ youth protests over exam paper leaks

Key Points:

• India’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned amid massive protests led by the youth campaign Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), marking a rare government setback under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The protests erupted over leaked and sold entrance exams for prestigious medical schools, forcing millions of students to retake tests and sparking demands for accountability and systemic reform.
• The CJP, founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has mobilized young Indians frustrated by high youth unemployment and perceived government neglect, with protesters also calling for compensation for students who died by suicide and action against police who suppressed demonstrations.
• Clashes between protesters and police, including the use of batons and tear gas, have intensified public anger and broadened support for the movement, which challenges Modi’s usual resistance to dissent.
• Modi acknowledged the protests only after weeks of silence, emphasizing arrests related to the exam leak and pledging to protect students’ academic progress, while his party faces pressure from a youth demographic critical to future elections.