India Youth Protests Demand Modi and Pradhan Resign

Thousands of youth-led protesters have demonstrated across India since June 2026, demanding the resignations of Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement centers on a scandal involving widespread paper leaks and irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which affected more than two million medical school aspirants.

The movement coalesced around the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political group formed after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed youth to "cockroaches." Tensions escalated on July 20, 2026, when protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to march on Parliament. These actions followed the forcible removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from a hunger strike on July 18. Police responded to the marches with tear gas and batons, and authorities suspended 16 Delhi Metro stations to restrict access.

While the government offered to accelerate prosecutions for the leaks and entered tentative talks with CJP leaders, protesters continue to demand structural reforms and compensation for families of students who committed suicide. Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the protesters as "disruptive elements," while CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke vowed that youth would not march again to avoid further police violence.