Modi’s fast-track court pledge fails to quell Indian student protests over exam leaks
The Indian government has promised swift legal action against those responsible for national examination paper leaks, but student activists organised by the Cockroach Janta Party have dismissed the proposal as a distraction.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to establish fast-track courts to prosecute individuals responsible for national examination paper leaks, marking his first direct spoken response to the largest youth-led protests against his administration in its third term. The announcement, delivered via a social media video, aims to address the systemic failures that have triggered widespread unrest across the country. However, the judicial proposal has been swiftly rejected by protest leaders, who insist that the measure is a distraction from the core demand for the immediate resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstrations, orchestrated by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), have expanded from their epicentre at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to major urban centres including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Patna. The protests, which began in May as an online movement, have evolved into a national platform demanding structural education reforms and accountability following a series of scandals involving leaked papers, technical faults, and cancelled tests. The main protest site has seen significant disruption, with demonstrators occupying parts of Parliament Street and engaging in clashes with police who have utilised tear gas and baton charges to disperse crowds attempting to march towards the Parliament House.
While the government has sought to de-escalate tensions through negotiation, the CJP has remained steadfast in its demands. Following talks between two senior government ministers and CJP leadership, the government requested until Saturday afternoon to respond to the call for Pradhan’s removal. CJP founding president Abhijeet Dipke and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka publicly dismissed the fast-track court initiative. Ranka stated that the judicial proposal does not address the underlying incompetence of the Education Ministry, arguing that paper leaks are a result of administrative failure rather than a lack of legal mechanisms.
In a significant development, activist Sonam Wangchuk concluded a 26-day hunger strike late on Thursday after negotiations involving Health Minister JP Nadda and Junior Atomic Energy Minister Jitendra Singh. Wangchuk cited the potential for further violence in the country as a factor in his decision to end the fast. During the negotiations, Nadda assured that the government would not register cases against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar or participating in the planned march to Parliament on 20 July 2026. The government also indicated it is positively considering suitable compensation for the families of students who have died by suicide following recent NEET paper leaks.
Despite these concessions, the situation remains volatile. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced the closure of 16 metro stations in New Delhi until further notice, reflecting the scale of the disruption. International rights groups Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the Indian government for the excessive use of force by police and the suspension of mobile internet services at protest sites. As the government seeks to balance accountability with governance, the standoff continues with tens of thousands of students demanding Pradhan’s resignation as a prerequisite for any resolution.
