Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid mounting pressure from the “Cockroach Movement,” which demanded major government reforms—starting with his departure. Student activists accused Pradhan of failing to safeguard a competitive medical school exam, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), after authorities concluded that its contents had been leaked online.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) started as a parody account on social media after Indian authorities invalidated the annual medical school entry exam in May. Its name alludes to a comment made by Chief Justice Surya Kant during an unrelated hearing the same month, in which he compared young unemployed people to “cockroaches” and “parasites.”
However, the CJP quickly established itself as a formidable movement as anti-government sentiment erupted in the wake of the NEET scandal. The page gained millions of followers, and its founder began organizing protests in late June.
Read More: What Is the Youth-Led ‘Cockroach Movement’ Staging Mass Protests in India?
How a Leaked Exam Sparked a National Movement
Over 2 million prospective students had taken the three-hour exam, according to the BBC. However, an exam coach noticed that a “guess paper”—or practice test—being circulated online seemed to closely match the exam itself, prompting an investigation. Police ultimately concluded that the questions had been leaked. They also discovered that some individuals paid as much as 5,000 rupees (about $52) to access the “guess paper” on WhatsApp, the Indian Express reported.
News that the exam results had been voided distressed many of the test-takers. The medical school system in India offered fewer than 130,000 slots for the undergraduate medical program this year, according to India’s National Medical Commission, making the selection process extremely competitive. The stakes are considerable, especially for those with limited financial resources. After the exam was discredited, at least 20 students died by suicide, according to Agence France-Presse. Protesters blamed the deaths on what they described as systemic failures in India’s education system, and directed much of their anger toward Pradhan.
In a statement posted to social media after he stepped down, Pradhan said that the government would be switching to a computer-based testing model in the future to help prevent fraud and confirmed that a replacement exam had been successfully completed in June.
“India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation,” he wrote.
Without accepting fault, he explained that he had agreed to step down in order to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the upheaval.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, celebrated the resignation with fellow protesters in New Delhi on Saturday.
“It’s a victory for the people of India,” Dipke said to the crowd. He later posted an image of India’s Constitution on social media, with the caption: “Thank you.”
How the Protests Forced the Government to the Table
Despite police orders not to march on Parliament, tens of thousands of protesters attempted to do so last week and clashed with local authorities. The following day, they escalated their efforts by attempting to block public transportation, setting up barricades at the entrance of key metro stations and disrupting travel for millions of daily commuters. The police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters, sparking public outrage.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk was then forcibly taken to hospital after 26 days of a hunger strike meant to bring attention to protesters’ demands. He told local media outlets that he concluded his campaign after receiving assurances that the “issue of accountability” for the failures of the exam would be discussed by Parliament.
Upon hearing the news of the Education Minister’s resignation on Saturday, he told reporters that he welcomed the move.
“This is a victory for democracy that we witnessed today,” he said. “I congratulate and thank our CJP team who first raised this issue, as well as the volunteers who supported them, the students, youth, and elders from across the country who stood up for democracy.”
“I hope we maintain this peace and that no wrongdoing occurs anywhere in the future. We need to work on reforms. A nation isn’t built by resignation alone,” he added.
On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian President Droupadi Murmu appointed Pralhad Joshi—who already oversees the ministries of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, along with New and Renewable Energy—to oversee the Ministry of Education “in addition to his existing portfolio,” which is a typical arrangement in India following a Cabinet vacancy and does not preclude a later permanent appointment.
Joshi addressed the exam leak in May, saying, “The reforms are needed, we are bringing them, but they cannot be done within a year. By next year, technology-driven examination will be there.”
CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das said in an interview with local media ANI following the president’s announcement that the party members will be meeting the new education minister “very soon.”
“Whoever becomes the Education Minister should know that the youth are watching. They will demand accountability,” Das said. “So, when the time comes, work in the interest of the youth. Stop paper leaks.”
What Comes Next for the CJP?
The CJP established its list of demands on May 16. In addition to calling for Pradhan’s resignation, the CJP asked for compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student who died by suicide following the leak.
They also sought greater legislative oversight of the educational system, gender equity in government roles, a fully independent media, and certain reforms to the electoral and political system—such as creating a 20-year ban on politicians switching parties before seeking election.
Adding to those mandates, the CJP last week asked that the central government drop any potential charges against protesters, after claiming that several had been “illegally detained” by police.
Following Pradhan’s resignation, representatives from the CJP met with officials from the Indian government to discuss the rest of the party’s demands. In a press conference following the meeting, Das said on Saturday that the negotiations had been successful.
“All our demands have been accepted,” he said, without elaboration. “We request the protesters to withdraw immediately and return home peacefully.”
The CJP added during the press conference on Saturday that representatives from the movement would meet with officials again in four weeks to work on broader reforms. Its spokesperson told local media that the fight for a transparent educational system is far from over.
He said that members of the CJP conveyed to officials that if the issues are not addressed, the protesters will reconvene “and demand accountability.”
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