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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

Indian exam protest forces parliament suspension, adding pressure on PM Modi

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Opposition parties protested in India's parliament, demanding the education minister's resignation over a leaked medical school entrance exam.
  • The protests, sparked by the leak affecting 2 million students, have become the largest youth challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014.
  • Opposition lawmakers disrupted parliamentary proceedings, calling for a debate on the exam leak and alleged police violence against student demonstrators.

Opposition parties disrupted India's parliament on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid widespread protests over a leaked medical school entrance exam. The demonstrations, which began last month over the leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) papers affecting approximately 2 million students, have escalated into the most significant youth challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government since it took power in 2014.

Our children’s future is not for sale

— ProtestersPlacard slogan during a protest outside the Indian parliament.

Thousands of young people took to the streets of New Delhi on Monday, clashing with police who used tear gas and batons. Opposition lawmakers, led by Rahul Gandhi, gathered outside parliament on Wednesday, many dressed in black and holding placards with slogans such as "Our children's future is not for sale" and "Save lives, Stop NEET."

Inside parliament, opposition members demanded a debate on alleged police brutality against student protesters and the exam paper leak, forcing a temporary suspension of proceedings. Both Modi and Pradhan have stated their willingness to debate the issue and broader education reforms. The opposition Congress party had also staged a sit-in outside Modi's residence on Tuesday, leading to the brief detention of Gandhi and other senior leaders.

Save lives, Stop NEET

— ProtestersPlacard slogan during a protest outside the Indian parliament.

Education Minister Pradhan addressed the issue on Tuesday, assuring that the government is committed to discussing NEET and addressing the concerns of protesting youth. He stated, "Our government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House."

Our government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House.

— Dharmendra PradhanIndia's Education Minister's statement on X regarding the exam leak protests.

The protests, initially a satirical online movement by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), have spread to multiple cities across India, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Over 1,000 protesters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site on Wednesday. Security measures in the capital have been heightened, with several Delhi Metro stations closed due to security concerns.

The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign.

— Dharmendra PradhanIndia's Education Minister's statement on X, referring to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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