According to Reuters report on the 23rd, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he will establish special courts to severely punish those involved in exam fraud incidents that have sparked student outrage. This is Modi's first public response after a wave of protests demanding the resignation of the Education Minister has intensified over the past few days.
He posted on the social platform "X" saying, "Nothing is more important than the well-being and future of our youth. We have decided to establish a rapid trial court to ensure that those responsible for leaking test papers are punished swiftly and severely. This is another measure we take to continuously protect the rights of students. Anyone who attempts to destroy the future of young people will not be tolerated."
Just hours before Modi's statement, thousands of protesters led by the Indian “ cockroach people’s party” gathered in New Delhi on the evening of the 22nd, leading to another conflict with the police. During the incident, the Indian police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.
According to police reports cited by the Indian Asian News Agency (ANI), some protesters threw stones and plastic bottles at the police during Wednesday evening. Several police officers were injured and were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Reports say that this protest has evolved into the largest youth protest wave since Modi came to power in 2014. This is also the most severe political crisis Modi has faced since he began his third term as prime minister in 2024.
This round of protests was triggered by a major leak of information regarding the medical undergraduate entrance examination—the “National Unified Entrance Examination” (NEET)—which occurred in May this year. The protests have since intensified.
According to reports, this cheating incident affected approximately 2 million test takers, and several people have committed suicide as a result.
Recently, protesters have been emerging on the streets of New Delhi, holding banners demanding that the current Minister of Education, Prada, be dismissed from his position.
Reports indicate that, in response to increasing protest pressure, the Modi government has held a round of negotiations with representatives of the ‘ cockroach People’s Party. They promised to consider the relevant demands and also suggested conducting debates on this issue in parliament, as well as advancing reforms to the examination system.
