India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned after weeks of protests over exam paper leaks and testing irregularities.
In a major victory for the protesters, Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post just hours before the third round of talks between the government and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
“I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country. Realising the dreams of India’s young generation has been the moral resolve of our political and social life.
“I express my gratitude to Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] for the opportunity given to me to serve the nation under his visionary leadership.”
Dharmendra Pradhan
The protests became one of the biggest displays of dissent against Narendra Modi‘s government in years, with thousands camping in Delhi as demonstrations spread nationwide.
The demonstrations were spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), not a real party, but a satirical campaign turned national movement.
The CJP has emerged as one of India’s biggest youth protest movements, despite not being a political party.The group was formed after the Chief Justice of India likened some unemployed young people to “cockroaches.” He later said that he was referring specifically to people with “fake and bogus degrees”, but by then, the term had taken a life on its own. Many young people, frustrated by rising unemployment and irregularities in competitive exams, embraced it, turning the insect into a symbol of defiance and resilience.
Led by Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP campaigned for reforms to India’s education system and greater accountability over exam paper leaks. Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was one of the movement’s key demands.
The protesters were angry over the cancellation of India’s top medical entrance exam; the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET – UG) after a paper leak in May. The CJP said the Minister should take moral responsibility for the leak and quit.
The CJP has also demanded 10m rupees ($103,554; £77,737) in compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide after the paper was cancelled, and the withdrawal of all cases against all protesters.
The movement quickly gained a huge following online and later drew tens of thousands to protesters in the capital.The movement gathered momentum last week after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly taken to hospital. He ended his 26-day hunger strike on Friday. A police crackdown on protesters marching to parliament also sparked public fury.
CJP Welcomes India’s Education Minister’s Resignation
The CJP welcomed the resignation as a major victory for its movement. One of its leaders repeatedly called the demand for the ouster of India’s Education Minister “non-negotiable.” “Cockroaches won. Democracy won!” the CJP said in a post on X.
As news of Pradhan’s resignation broke, huge celebration erupted at the CJP’s main protest site in central Delhi. “We have done it,” Abhijeet Dipke, CJP’s founder, screamed from the makeshift stage amid deafening cheers from the crowds.
He then went on to thank everyone for their efforts and support and made a special mention of the students who had been on a hunger strike for weeks alongside activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Also, the CJP put out a statement by its founder Dipke on X saying that the fight is not over. He said that the families of students who died by suicide after a key medical exam was cancelled must receive compensation, a demand he says the group will not drop.
Dipke also renewed calls for action against police officers he accused of using excessive force against protesters on 20 July when thousands of CJP supporters tried to march to Parliament. “Remember, do not mess with [the] cockroach,” he added.
Moreover, India’s opposition leaders welcomed Pradhan’s resignation, with many calling it a victory for the youth-led protest movement. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called it a “victory for the millions of our youth who took to the streets to demand an overhaul of the education system across the country.”
Veteran politician Sharad Pawar called it a “major victory for the united power of the nation’s youth.” “This struggle – in which the youth stood firm against injustice without fear of suppression and compelled the government to accept moral responsibility – stands as a testament to the strength of democracy,” he wrote on X.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called it a “big victory for the youth”, but said that it should serve as a lesson to all political parties to strengthen examination systems and prevent paper leaks in the future. Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has also called it a “big win for the democracy.”
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