India's education minister resigns amid student protests over exam paper leaks
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Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation after weeks of protests by students demanding accountability for alleged leaks of medical entrance exams and broader reforms to India's examination system.
India's education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday that he was stepping down after sustained pressure from student demonstrators who have been protesting alleged leaks and sales of entrance exams for elite medical schools. The protests, organized by the youth group known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), have drawn tens of thousands of participants to the streets of New Delhi and have resulted in clashes with police.
"This is democracy. He has resigned. We have two more demands. We won’t go like this," said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, adding that families of students who had taken their own lives after exam results were cancelled should receive compensation of one crore rupees and that police officers involved in recent crackdowns should be held accountable.
The movement, which began as an online meme after comments by the chief justice comparing unemployed youth to "cockroaches," has evolved into a broader campaign calling for an overhaul of the examination system and measures to address high youth unemployment. A recent report by Azim Premji University noted that nearly 40% of graduates under 25 are unemployed, highlighting the demographic challenge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet publicly accepted the resignation. In a statement earlier in the week, he said that arrests had been made in connection with the paper leak and that the government was working to ensure students' academic years were not wasted. He also warned that anyone attempting to harm the future of India's youth would face consequences.