India student protests demand resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Thousands of students and supporters of the satirical "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) have been marching in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and other Indian cities demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests were sparked by alleged paper‑leaks in the NEET‑UG medical entrance exam that affected more than two million aspirants and led to a 21‑day hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was later hospitalized.

Police used tear‑gas, batons and lathi‑charges against demonstrators, injuring at least 180 people and overturning a police vehicle near Connaught Place. Opposition leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi led a sit‑in outside the Prime Minister’s residence, were detained, and Rahul Gandhi was briefly arrested while demanding the resignation of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Pradhan. Several other opposition MPs, including Chandra Shekhar Azad, staged overnight protests in Parliament to back the students.

The movement has spread to other states such as Maharashtra, where local rallies echoed the demand for Pradhan’s resignation and for reforms to India’s examination system.