Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vows to punish exam fraudsters after mass protests rocked New Delhi. The youth-led 'Cockroach Janta Party' (CJP) is demanding the resignation of the Education Minister over a leaked medical exam paper that affected over 2 million students. Police used tear gas and batons against tens of thousands of demonstrators, injuring over 150 and detaining 70, in the largest challenge to Modi's government in years.
NEET exam fraud scandal
- ▪The results of the May national medical entrance exam (NEET) were voided after an investigation found that question papers had been leaked
- ▪Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi stated there have been 152 exam paper leaks in India over the past decade with zero convictions
Cockroach movement origins
- ▪The movement's name is a response to India's Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly comparing unemployed young people to "cockroaches" and "parasites."
- ▪The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began in May as a satirical online movement founded by Abhijeet Dipke
- ▪The CJP has grown to over 22 million social media followers and broadened its agenda to include unemployment and youth opportunities
Movement manifesto demands
- ▪The primary demand of the protesters is the resignation of India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan
- ▪The CJP's demands include a new Public Examinations Act for transparency, a students' rights charter, and parliamentary oversight of exam authorities
- ▪Education activist Sonam Wangchuk conducted a 20-day hunger strike in support of the CJP, ending after police hospitalized him
Mass protests in Delhi
- ▪Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was detained during a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence
- ▪Protesters have maintained a continuous sit-in at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi for over a month
- ▪Estimates of the crowd size for the July 21 protest range from 20,000 to 50,000 people
- ▪Tens of thousands of protesters marched toward Parliament in New Delhi on July 21, 2026, in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in years
Police violence against protesters
- ▪On July 21, 2026, Delhi Police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters, who responded by hurling stones and water bottles
- ▪Delhi Police reported that around 180 people were injured in the clashes, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters
- ▪CJP leaders stated that 150 protesters were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the Monday protest
- ▪Lawyers' groups reported that around 70 protesters were detained during the Monday demonstration
Government response
- ▪On July 23, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first direct comments on the protests, vowing "stringent punishment" for exam fraud
- ▪Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to set up fast-track courts to punish those involved in leaking exam question papers
- ▪The Modi government has held one round of talks with CJP leaders and offered to debate the issue in parliament
- ▪Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has refused to resign, stating the government is "100% committed" to addressing youth concerns
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