Indian Government Rejects Education Minister's Resignation Amid Student Protests

The Indian government has rejected demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following a month of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over NEET-UG paper leaks. While the government maintains that removing Pradhan would be running away from responsibility, Narendra Modi has approved a draft bill to increase penalties for organized paper leaks to 10 years in prison and fines up to Rs 10 crore, while promising the establishment of Fast-Track Courts.

During negotiations on July 24 and 25, government representatives including JP Nadda gave in-principle approval for Rs 1 crore in compensation for families of students who committed suicide after the leaks and agreed to withdraw legal cases against protesters. However, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka declared Pradhan's resignation a non-negotiable condition for further talks. To address the crisis, the government has already terminated 47 National Testing Agency officials and replaced the education secretary.

Parallel controversies erupted as the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University issued advisories warning students that protesting at Jantar Mantar could lead to legal action and academic risks. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge condemned these warnings, accusing the government of using universities as propaganda outlets to bully students. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Minister Avinash Gehlot defended the ruling BJP, accusing the Congress party of politicizing the issue and claiming Rajasthan has conducted 350 exams without leaks since taking office.