Indian youth protest over exam leak presses minister’s resignation demand in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A youth group in India calling itself the Cockroach Janta Party has continued its sit-in in the capital for nearly two weeks, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of question papers for a national medical college entrance test.

Around 100 supporters of the group have been gathering each day at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. The protest has also received backing from social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has begun a hunger strike in support of the demand for the minister’s removal.

The demonstrations come at a time when the Indian government is said to be considering major cabinet changes, while Indian media have reported that Pradhan could be shifted from the education portfolio. Pradhan, his ministry and the government’s chief spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said participation in the protest was growing as people arrived from different parts of the country. He said the group would wait for clarity on the reported cabinet reshuffle before deciding its next move.

“With each passing day, more people are coming here from different parts of India,” said 30-year-old party founder Abhijeet Dipke.

Dipke added that the group was watching developments in the government closely.

“We are waiting to see what the government decides because there are reports of a cabinet reshuffle. Once that announcement comes, we will decide the next course of action", the statement added.

Hunger strike and growing youth anger

Wangchuk, identified as a prominent critic of the government, said his fast could continue for six weeks unless the issue was resolved earlier. He was arrested last year after violent protests calling for statehood for his native Himalayan federal territory of Ladakh.

“But hopefully, we don’t have to go that far,” he said. “A sensitive government in a democracy listens to the pains of the people, and I hope they will take action.”

The party describes itself as representing the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct. It amassed 22 million followers on Instagram within a few days of being launched last month, a rise presented as reflecting discontent among young Indians, who are estimated to account for more than half of the country’s 1.42 billion people.

Government data put India’s unemployment rate in 2025 at 3.1 per cent for those aged 15 and above. Among people aged 15 to 29, the rate was nearly 10 per cent, rising to 13.6 per cent in urban areas.

Exam controversy and political reaction

Anger among young people has also centred on the paper leak in the medical college entrance examination, which led to the cancellation of the test taken by 2.3 million aspirants. The examination was held again this month after the government used military aircraft to transport exam papers and temporarily blocked Telegram, saying the platform had been used to spread the leak.

The movement has also drawn criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP president Nitin Nabin said this week that groups such as the CJP posed a danger to the country and accused them of being part of an anti-India camp.

“Such people are part of an anti-India gang and only BJP workers can teach them a lesson,” he said in a speech.