Indian Government Negotiates With Youth Protesters Over Education Minister's Resignation

The Government of India requested until Saturday afternoon to respond to demands from a youth-led protest movement seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The unrest stems from widespread exam paper leaks in May and has seen tens of thousands of youth converge on New Delhi. On Friday, government ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met with spokespersons from the Cockroach Janta Party to discuss three main demands: Pradhan's resignation, the dropping of police cases against demonstrators, and compensation for families of students who committed suicide following the leaks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed creating special courts to prosecute those responsible for the leaks, but the protest movement rejected the offer. To manage the unrest, Delhi authorities shut down 16 metro stations and extended a mobile internet shutdown. The tensions coincided with activist Sonam Wangchuk ending a 26-day hunger strike.

Violence escalated this week as protesters attacked television journalists, including a reporter for Times Now. Demonstrators used the term "godi media" to describe outlets perceived as pro-government. While the Editors Guild of India condemned the assaults, it also criticized biased reporting. The Cockroach Janta Party stated its organizers have urged demonstrators not to mistreat reporters. These events occur as India ranks 157th out of 180 nations in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.