An Amar Desh report said youth-led protests over a medical examination paper leak spread from Delhi across India, reportedly forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The movement, led in Delhi by the Cockroach Janata Party, began after about 2 million students were required to retake examinations. The report said several students died by suicide, while protesters demanded Pradhan’s resignation and accountability in the examination system.

According to the report, Modi initially did not directly respond to protesters’ demands. In an Instagram video on Friday night, he thanked young people for their “constructive suggestions,” but protesters mocked the message online. Demonstrations intensified the following day, including at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, and spread to BJP-governed states. Youth-produced memes, videos and social-media campaigns challenged the government’s established online messaging, the report said.

Brown University professor Ashutosh Varshney said the government had no other option but to remove Pradhan. Congress and other opposition parties backed the movement, with Rahul Gandhi joining a student protest. The report linked youth anger to unemployment, limited jobs, stagnant wages and wider education-system problems, while organizers said the movement was only beginning.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said a presidential election will be held in due time under the constitution, while his party will decide whom to nominate. He made the remarks on July 27 after inaugurating a BRDB divisional office in Rangpur city’s Terminal area. The report said parliament speaker Major Hafiz Uddin has assumed the responsibilities of president.

Addressing comments by the Jamaat ameer in Sylhet, Fakhrul said those remarks were that leader’s own matter. He described BNP as a democratic political party that formed the government with two-thirds support in parliament after a long struggle and public support. He said BNP had governed the country five times and argued that people calling it a fascist party either lacked knowledge or had been conditioned to think that way.

Fakhrul urged the Jamaat ameer to read his party’s constitution and judge whether Jamaat is democratic. He said the Election Commission would decide eligibility criteria for local government candidates. Local government elections are expected at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, he said. Later, he inaugurated a rural development fair and distributed checks for small and entrepreneurial loans and incentives for adolescent girls.

Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leading challenger ahead of Israel’s general election scheduled for October 27. Eisenkot formed the new Yashar political party in 2025, entering the race at what the report describes as an important turning point in Israeli politics.

A recent Channel 12 poll projected Yashar would win 23 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, narrowly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud party on 22 seats. The survey found that 43 percent of respondents considered the 66-year-old Eisenkot the most suitable candidate for prime minister, compared with 34 percent for Netanyahu. Voters are expected to weigh Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict that began after Hamas attacked from Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Eisenkot is campaigning on a 10-point program focused on security, national unity and revitalising democratic institutions. His central pledge is an independent state commission of inquiry into the 2023 attack, after which allegations of intelligence failures were directed at Netanyahu’s government. He also promises a long-term national security policy to strengthen the military and border security, while backing judicial independence, rule of law, minority rights and a free press. His position on resolving the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unclear.

India’s Supreme Court said baton charges cannot be used merely because a protest is taking place, during hearings on several petitions seeking an investigation into a police action at a demonstration over alleged question-paper leaks. The court made the remarks on July 27, according to the report.

The petitions concerned a July 20 protest in Delhi by Kakoroch Janata Party, which demanded the education minister’s resignation over the allegations. The report also said tear gas and baton charges were used during a march by protesting students toward India’s parliament over the same demand.

The top court said the constitution fully guarantees the right to peaceful and lawful protest. It stated that as long as a demonstration remains peaceful, baton charges cannot be carried out solely on the ground that people are protesting.

International media outlets have described Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as an unprecedented or rare retreat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The decision followed a prolonged movement and widespread protests across India, according to a report published on July 27. While the protests began over the NEET examination, coverage said they quickly came to represent broader concerns among young people.

The New York Times called the development a rare retreat by a government that has long narrowed space for dissent. It said the movement became a symbol of unemployment, problems in the education system, insufficient public investment, and young people’s frustration about their futures. The Financial Times said the protests renewed questions about the reality of the government’s long-standing promises on jobs and development.

The BBC highlighted how young protesters turned the “cockroach” label into a symbol of protest after a comment by Chief Justice Surya Kant, while also reporting a festive atmosphere, large crowds and police presence. Bloomberg said the movement began as a social-media joke before becoming one of the biggest student movements of recent years and a major political challenge for the Modi government. Media assessments portrayed it as an example of digitally organized protest and demands for accountability.

Delhi Police has begun action against social media posts described as objectionable about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report published on July 27, 2026. The police sent notices to multiple social media platforms directing them to quickly remove disputed videos, posts and comments. Officers are regularly monitoring social media and are issuing removal notices to relevant platforms whenever they identify new content of this kind.

The move began one day after a prolonged protest over alleged question-paper leaks and irregularities in a medical entrance examination ended. The Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, announced on Saturday that it was withdrawing its 37-day movement after assurances that several demands, including Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, would be accepted. The police action has prompted renewed discussion online, although CJP has not issued an official response.

CJP said the government agreed to compensation for families affected by suicides among NEET candidates, withdrawal of FIRs against peaceful protesters, and no new cases against protesters and organisers. On whether all cases or only those against peaceful protesters would be withdrawn, CJP leaders said violent offenders and peaceful protesters would be distinguished. The group said a written copy of the agreement would be released soon.

Sociology teacher Dr Ishrat Zakia Sultana has called on public representatives to experience public services in disguise, arguing that anonymous visits can reveal citizens’ actual hardships. In an opinion article published on July 27, 2026, she cited Karnataka transport minister Bairathi, who reportedly travelled masked as an ordinary passenger on several public transport routes during roughly two hours on a Saturday in July.

According to the article, a conductor told the disguised minister to get off a bus because he could not provide change for a 100-rupee note. The writer says the purpose of the journey was to observe drivers’ and conductors’ treatment of passengers and to gain direct experience as a commuter. She contrasts this with what she describes as a pattern of election promises followed by failures to deliver.

The article argues that disguised inspections could expose problems in transport, market regulation, damaged roads, waterlogging and other urban services. It says announced inspections may lead staff to temporarily arrange conditions rather than produce lasting change. The writer proposes that ministers and elected representatives visit their offices or constituencies at least weekly as service recipients, while suggesting that disguised consumer checks could also help identify market abuses.

An analysis published on July 27, 2026 examines why India’s Generation Z has not formed a broad national street movement despite widespread political awareness and local grievances. It describes those born between 1997 and 2012 as more than one-quarter of India’s population, or about 370 million people, and says they are technologically skilled, informed and active on social media.

The article recalls youth roles in the independence struggle, the movement against Indira Gandhi’s emergency under Jayaprakash Narayan, Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign and protests after the 2012 Delhi gang rape. It says universities again became protest centers during opposition to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act, but police repression, anti-state labeling and prolonged imprisonment of student leaders halted the movement’s development.

According to the analysis, India’s 28 states, eight union territories, linguistic diversity and distinct local disputes prevent grievances from becoming a unified national movement. It also cites fear of anti-state accusations, UAPA, digital surveillance, campus restrictions, unemployment and contract work. The article says 38 percent of new 18-year-old voters were registered in the 2024 election, while nearly 30 percent of young people are turning away from politics.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after five weeks of protests demanding his departure over a medical entrance examination paper leak. The satirical Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, led the campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a selfie video on Instagram on Thursday, expressing pain over protesters’ hardship and promising remedial measures, but thousands gathered in Delhi were not satisfied.

Protesters had held their position at Jantar Mantar a day earlier despite a police assault, and their movement inspired demonstrations across India. Young CJP supporters openly mocked Modi through rap, placards and graffiti. Sanjay Srivastava, an anthropology professor at SOAS University of London, said a large section of those protesting were actually Modi supporters, making this movement different from earlier protests.

Political analyst Amitabh Tiwari said the paper leak was only the starting point, with youth unemployment, anxiety and reduced technology-sector jobs linked to AI use also feeding discontent. Forty percent of India’s population is aged 18 to 40, while only 10 percent of the Lok Sabha is in that age group. State elections are due next year in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat, where opposition parties may seek to use youth anger.

US Congressman Thomas Massie has accused the Trump administration of seriously damaging the United States' stability and resources by continuing war against Iran. In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Massie said the United States had become significantly weaker because of the war with Iran, according to a report published on July 27, 2026.

Expressing anger over the administration's policies, Massie said it had exhausted the country's missile defense system and emptied oil reserves. He also alleged that US service members had been made into sacrificial victims, while the cost of daily necessities had risen and the country's debt had increased.

Massie further said the administration had ignored domestic needs, arguing that all of these actions were taken for Israel. The report did not include a response from the Trump administration to his allegations or provide additional details about the war with Iran.

Bangladesh’s current BNP government says it is advancing plans to modernize, make employment-oriented and update the country’s education system under its election manifesto. A report published on July 27, 2026 said the two education ministries are targeting 40 projects and programmes this fiscal year alongside increased budget allocations. Prime Minister’s education adviser Mahdi Amin outlined the measures on July 18, marking the government’s first five months.

The education allocation for the current fiscal year is Tk136,606 crore, equivalent to 2 percent of GDP, compared with Tk87,206 crore, or 1.39 percent of GDP, in the previous year. Allocations include Tk46,734 crore for primary and mass education, Tk57,302 crore for secondary and higher education, and Tk18,457 crore for technical and madrasa education. Announced initiatives include free uniforms and jute schoolbags, free education for female students through honours level, smart classrooms, free Wi-Fi, mid-day meals and proposed education loans.

From the 2027 academic year, four new textbooks focused on sports, culture, technical education and joyful learning are planned for primary and secondary students. Education experts identified a reform commission, universal pre-primary education and greater research investment as major challenges. Amin said the government aims to implement all manifesto commitments gradually over five years.

National Citizen Party member secretary Akhtar Hossain MP said constitutional Article 51 cannot be invoked to prevent the arrest of former president Sahabuddin Chuppu. He made the remarks at the NCP’s July Awakening march and roadside meeting at Jibannagar Mukta Mancha in Chuadanga on Sunday night, July 27. The event was held with the stated aim of building a Bangladesh based on justice, democracy, rights and prosperity.

Hossain said no protection against Chuppu’s arrest remains under Article 51. He also alleged that the BNP had taken a position against the public and had not implemented what he described as a verdict in which 70 percent of people supported a yes vote in a referendum. He further alleged that the BNP was attempting to politicize everything, including the Election Commission.

NCP joint member secretaries Molla Mohammad Faruk Ahsan and Dr Mahmuda Mitu, joint convenor Sarwar Tushar, and local leaders attended the event. Several local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were also present. An NCP July Awakening march and roadside meeting was held earlier on Sunday in Jhenaidah. Another such event is scheduled in Chuadanga at 3 p.m. Monday.

On July 27, 2024, Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police took Anti-Discrimination Student Movement coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah into custody. Earlier, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Abu Baker Majumdar were taken from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital while receiving treatment. The report said the detentions added a new dimension to student protests demanding quota reform.

Then Detective Branch additional deputy commissioner Md Junaid Alam Sarkar said the five were held to collect information on recent clashes, vandalism and violence, and for their personal security. University teachers expressed concern and called for the students’ treatment and safety to be ensured. Human Rights Forum Bangladesh also urged maximum caution to stop harassment and torture of students.

Coordinators issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the release of detained students, withdrawal of all cases and action against those responsible for violence. The report cited more than 736 cases nationwide and more than 7,000 arrests by July 27 night. They announced online and offline campaigning, document submissions to embassies and wall-writing from July 28.

India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down amid protests over an alleged NEET examination paper leak in Delhi. The report, published on July 27, 2026, says the issue has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari asked when AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal would seek Bains’s resignation on moral grounds. The BJP alleged paper leaks in the PSEB Class 12 English board examination, Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test and Agriculture Development Officer examination. It also raised allegations involving other recruitment examinations and names on an Excise and Taxation Inspection merit list. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring alleged six major paper leaks over the past four years and demanded accountability.

AAP rejected the opposition allegations as false and baseless. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said no paper leak had occurred in the state over the past four and a half years and promised full prevention in future. He said action was taken within 10 minutes after cheating attempts at two locations. AAP leader Baltej Pannu said candidates caught using digital devices faced immediate legal action, but no paper was leaked.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel to New York in the United States on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office. He is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24. The trip will be his first visit to New York since taking office as head of government and his first speech at the UN General Assembly as prime minister.

Preparations for the New York visit have already begun. Sources said this year’s General Assembly session is particularly significant for Bangladesh because the newly elected president of the UN General Assembly, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, will preside over the 81st session. Besides his address, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.

The prime minister is also expected to join an interaction event organised by expatriate Bangladeshis, while meetings with several heads of government may take place on the sidelines. The visit is expected to be brief, with a stay of four to five days in New York. He is expected to leave the city on September 25 or 26. The delegation will be limited to no more than 35 people, sources said.