India's biggest youth protest forces resignation of close Modi ally

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned following a week of mass demonstrations, marking a major victory for a newly formed youth movement that has emerged as one of the strongest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in recent years.

In a statement issued on July 26, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation letter to the prime minister after facing mounting pressure from student protesters.

“Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and ‌across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation … I have sent my resignation letter to the prime minister,” Pradhan wrote in a social media post.

The resignation represents a significant political setback for Modi, who during his 12 years in power has cultivated a strong leadership image and maintained that his ministers should not be removed due to public pressure. It is the first time a large-scale protest movement has forced one of his close allies to step down, as an analysis by The Guardian points out.

Another minister from Modi's cabinet, Pralhad Joshi, was assigned responsibility for the Ministry of Education in addition to his existing portfolios, which include consumer affairs, food and public distribution, as well as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Joshi previously served as minister for coal, mines and parliamentary affairs.

Exam leak scandal

The main demand of the youth-led protest movement, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), was Pradhan’s resignation over an alleged exam leak scandal.

It revolved around the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a highly competitive examination required for admission to medical undergraduate programmes which more than two million students took in May. After allegations emerged that the exam had been compromised with leaked exam papers, the government launched an investigation into an alleged test-selling scheme, cancelled the initial results and ordered a retake in June.

The decision forced millions of candidates to return to intense preparation, creating further stress among students already under enormous pressure. The controversy triggered widespread anger, with reports that more than a dozen students died by suicide due to anxiety that arose from retaking the exam.

The refusal by Modi’s government to dismiss Pradhan over the scandal became a symbol for critics who accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of failing to take responsibility for problems affecting young people, particularly within the country’s education system.

CJP organisers confirmed that they had ended their demonstrations following Pradhan’s resignation and a meeting with senior BJP leaders on July 25.

News of the minister’s departure was met with celebrations by tens of thousands of CJP supporters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site, where demonstrators had demanded accountability from the government.

Addressing the crowds, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke praised the determination of students who participated in the protests despite facing police action.

“We have done it,” he said, as crowds responded with chants of “victory to India” and “long live the revolution”.

However, Dipke stressed that Pradhan’s resignation was only the beginning of the movement’s broader campaign for education reform and stronger democratic protections.

He also warned supporters against turning him into a symbolic figurehead.

“Do not make this mistake,” said Dipke. “The country has been ruined by making one person a hero.”

Youth movement gains momentum

The CJP protests intensified on Monday, when hundreds of thousands of students and young people gathered in Delhi in what was described as one of the largest youth-led demonstrations in years.

Police responded to the gatherings with force, using tear gas and baton charges, leaving hundreds injured. The response sparked further public anger and encouraged more people to join the movement.

Throughout the week, thousands gathered at the CJP’s protest camp in Delhi, chanting slogans against the government and demanding Pradhan’s removal. Demonstrations also spread to other major cities, including Kolkata and Mumbai, where hundreds of thousands joined nationwide protests.

The resignation has provided a major boost to the movement, but CJP leaders have indicated that they intend to continue pushing for broader changes to India’s education system and greater government accountability.

By Nazrin Sadigova