India's education minister resigns after weeks of student protests over exam paper leaks

The protests erupted after revelations that roughly 2 million students were forced to retake a medical entrance exam following a paper leak in May. According to The Indian Express, at least a dozen students died by suicide in the aftermath, with some leaving notes saying they could not bear resitting the exam. The case was the latest in a series of leaks affecting nationwide exams for university seats and government jobs taken by millions of students each year.

How the protests began

Demonstrations began at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site on June 7 and quickly spread to more than a dozen cities. Young protesters, who faced tear gas and police batons as they tried to march toward parliament on Monday, framed the leaks as a class issue. "The [exam] papers are being leaked, the rich are paying for their children to pass, and [we] poor people are being left behind. Where are we supposed to go?" Rishabh, 23, who traveled around 50 miles by rickshaw, train, and metro to reach the central protest site, told NPR.

Among the most prominent figures was Abhijeet Dipke, 30, founder of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, which formed in response to Chief Justice Surya Kant's controversial remark in May describing unemployed youth as "cockroaches." The phrase, which Kant later said was misquoted, became a rallying point. Author Arundhati Roy lent her voice to the cause, writing: "Just when hope seemed lost, they came. Young roaches riding in on the rain. The progeny of the unholy union between a judge and a joke." At Jantar Mantar, Dipke told cheering crowds: "We have done it."

Pradhan's resignation and political fallout

The minister's resignation came amid intense political pressure. Earlier, Pradhan had dismissed protest leaders as "the B team of terrorists," according to The Hindu, while presenters on some Modi-loyal media outlets alleged that activists were paid by Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi addressed students directly in Hindi on Instagram late Thursday, saying, "Friends, I understand that paper leak is no ordinary subject," and noting that those accused of leaking papers "are lying in jails." However, his statement did not address the core demand for the minister's resignation.

Sonam Wangchuk, an educator who went on a 26-day hunger strike in solidarity with the students, was forcibly removed by police to a government hospital. He announced on Friday that he had ended his fast after receiving government assurances that authorities would be held to account for failures in the exam system. He did not immediately comment on the resignation.

A generational movement

India, which has around 367 million people between the ages of 15 and 29 — the world's largest such population — has been gripped by an unusually broad youth movement. Political analyst Sushant Singh of Yale University told reporters: "It has become very difficult for the state to demonize them. That is the uniqueness of this protest at this point."

Sociologist Raheel Dhattiwala said education is "a kind of leveler, bringing everybody together." That framing appears to have resonated: politicians from outside the ruling party joined the demonstrations, and student leaders warned of nationwide marches on Monday if the minister did not resign.

Young protesters at Jantar Mantar responded to the resignation news with shouts of "Jai Hind," a patriotic slogan meaning "Victory to India." Another round of talks with ministers was scheduled for hours after the announcement, though Pradhan did not apologize for the paper leaks in his resignation letter. In contrast to previous statements, in which he framed the protesters as a threat, he closed by thanking the country's youth for their aspirations.

The resignation marks a rare and significant concession to youth-led street politics in India. While the government has pledged an investigation into the leaks and accountability for officials, it remains unclear whether further ministerial changes will follow. Protest leaders said they would continue pressing for systemic reforms to the country's examination infrastructure.