India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, resigned on Saturday following weeks of nationwide demonstrations demanding his removal over alleged examination paper leaks and widespread irregularities in the country’s education system.
In a statement shared on X, Pradhan said the events of the past 10 days had deeply saddened him, adding that the issue was never about his personal reputation.
He said preserving national unity was paramount and stressed that no student’s future should be jeopardised by prolonged legal disputes. Pradhan confirmed that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Protest Movement Claims Major Victory
The protests were spearheaded by the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party, a movement that emerged after India’s Chief Justice reportedly compared unemployed young people to cockroaches.
Earlier this week, police in New Delhi fired tear gas and used batons to disperse protesters attempting to march towards Parliament. Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site celebrated news of the minister’s resignation.
Speaking to supporters, the movement’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, described the resignation as only the beginning of a broader campaign for education reform.
He thanked the students and volunteers who had maintained the protest for 36 consecutive days, saying their determination had made the outcome possible.
Opposition Welcomes Resignation
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the opposition Congress party, described the resignation as a victory for millions of young Indians who took to the streets demanding reforms in the education sector.
In a post on X, Kharge urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the country’s youth and take action against security personnel accused of using force, including batons and pellet guns, against protesters.
Government Agrees to Protesters’ Demands
Following discussions with government officials, the Cockroach Janta Party announced it was ending its nationwide protests after reaching an agreement with the administration.
Party spokesperson Saurav Das said the movement had suspended its agitation in good faith, trusting that the agreed reforms and commitments would be implemented within the promised timeframe.
As part of the agreement, the government pledged to provide the highest possible compensation to families of students who died by suicide following the exam leak controversy. Authorities also agreed to withdraw legal cases filed against protesters and consider a five-point plan aimed at reforming the country’s examination system.
Reports indicate that at least 11 students took their own lives after the government cancelled the results of entrance examinations affected by the alleged paper leaks.
