NEW DELHI (GNP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge to fast-track punishment for examination paper leaks has failed to quell weeks of student-led protests in the Indian capital, as opposition leaders and activists intensify demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a social media post, Modi said his government had directed authorities to establish fast-track courts to ensure “swift and stringent punishment” for those involved in paper leaks, describing student welfare as a national priority and warning that those who harm the future of the country’s youth “will not be spared.”
The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who accused the prime minister of overseeing the “total capture and destruction” of India’s education system while shielding those responsible. Gandhi reiterated the protesting students’ three core demands: Pradhan’s removal from office, a public apology to students, and accountability for the alleged assault on demonstrators by police.
Protesters at the movement’s Jantar Mantar sit-in have kept up a simpler refrain, repeatedly demanding accountability and Pradhan’s resignation. Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, one of the movement’s most visible faces, said Modi was “ready to shut down all of Delhi” rather than remove the minister, and has circulated a photograph of Pradhan captioned to mock his handling of the crisis while renewing calls for his resignation.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey defended the government’s response, calling paper leaks a “grave crime” and asserting that no offender would be spared, describing the promised punishment as severe enough that it would make “the criminal’s soul tremble.”
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate countered by citing figures reported in Indian media on the scale of the problem, noting that of the numerous examination paper leaks recorded over the past decade, no convictions have followed, and that Pradhan remains in office despite the record. She said the government’s assurances rang hollow to a generation she said would not be easily placated.
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The controversy has been compounded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the agitation in late June and has since remained on an indefinite hunger strike, entering its 25th day this week. In a public appeal, Wangchuk said he would call on protesting students to pause their movement and enter dialogue with the government once official assurances were received, while continuing his own fast.
The Cockroach Janta Party has urged Wangchuk to end the strike for his health, while pledging that the wider protest for what it calls “examination justice” would continue regardless of his decision.
The protests, which began over irregularities in India’s National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and other competitive examinations, have persisted for weeks despite a heavy police response, with demonstrators maintaining that their demands remain unmet.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
