Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk called Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation a “victory for democracy” in his first reaction after the announcement. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Wangchuk said democracy comes from the streets and described the outcome as a victory of peace, patience and perseverance. The report was published on July 25, 2026.

Wangchuk shared a photograph from a hospital bed showing a V sign. He congratulated the satirical political organization Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, which led the movement, as well as the country’s youth. He also thanked citizens from across the country for overcoming fear and joining the protests.

Wangchuk joined the CJP-called movement on June 28, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and reform of the education system. He began a hunger strike and ended it on Thursday night after 26 days, following government assurances of parliamentary discussion on question-paper leaks, no legal action against protesting students, and compensation for families of students who died by suicide over the leaks. He said the movement would now shift from accountability toward education-system reform.

Cockerroach Janata Party founder Abhijit Dipke and a large number of protesters celebrated at Jantar Mantar after Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation. The report, published on July 25, 2026, said Pradhan declared his resignation on X on Saturday before the third round of talks between the central government and the CJP.

Dipke described the resignation as a symbol of democracy’s victory and said the strength of cockroaches should not be taken lightly. He said no one’s power is permanent in the face of public demands. He also demanded compensation of one crore taka for each family of students who died by suicide in connection with question-paper leaks.

Dipke further called for strict action against police personnel involved in baton-charging protesters on July 20. In his resignation announcement, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to the prime minister so that anti-national groups could not exploit the current situation. He said talented students’ futures would not be ruined because of examination-related mafias, adding that he had taken responsibility for the incident from the beginning.

India’s Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said moving Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry would not be acceptable to protesting students, demanding his complete removal from the cabinet. Speaking to journalists in New Delhi on Saturday alongside three representatives of the All India Students’ Association, Gandhi highlighted students’ three-point demands linked to the exam question-paper leak issue.

Gandhi described Pradhan as corrupt, incompetent and unable to fulfil his responsibilities. He said information from within the government indicated discussions about shifting the minister to another portfolio, but argued that students did not want advice or a transfer and instead sought Pradhan’s removal. Gandhi accused the government of failing to give proper attention to students’ actual demands.

He also called for accountability for people and officials involved in police action, including baton charges, during the students’ July 20 protest march toward Parliament. Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said Modi should publicly apologise for what he described as the government’s lack of accountability to students and police “abuse” against them. He urged the government to take prompt and effective action in support of the protesters’ demands.

The Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, announced the withdrawal of its 36-day protest after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over an alleged exam paper leak. The announcement came at a joint government-CJP news conference in Delhi on Saturday evening. Pradhan’s resignation had been the protesters’ main demand.

CJP spokespersons Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared alongside central ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. CJP leaders said they were ending the protest in good faith after receiving assurances that several demands would be met. These included withdrawing all FIRs filed against students, taking no future action against protesting students, and providing the highest compensation allowed under existing rules to families of students who died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper-leak case.

Das said the government would provide copies of about 15 to 20 FIRs registered in Delhi within three to four days and begin withdrawal procedures soon afterward. He said the government had also promised formal written assurances by Tuesday. The CJP submitted a five-point memorandum on reforming education and examination systems, with another meeting expected in about four weeks.

Indian educator and social activist Sonam Wangchuk has alleged that he was treated like a prisoner after being taken from Jantar Mantar in Delhi to a hospital on July 18. In a video posted late Friday night, the Ladakh-based activist said the hospital felt like a military camp and a prison, rather than merely a medical facility.

Wangchuk said he was kept in a separate room and was not allowed to leave it. He alleged that mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices were not permitted, police guarded him at all times, and visitors were barred from entering. According to him, only three relatives were allowed to stay with him.

He also claimed that relatives who travelled from Ladakh to meet him were sent back after return flight tickets were arranged. Wangchuk said he secretly wrote messages on tissues because he was not given paper or pens, and that such messages were seized and destroyed if noticed. He further alleged that, despite a court order, he was made to wait from 2pm until 7pm before being released from the hospital.

Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), has been diagnosed with typhoid but said the ongoing movement demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation will not stop. In a video message posted on social media on Saturday, Dipke said he had been unwell for several days and was receiving treatment after medical test results confirmed typhoid.

Dipke thanked supporters he called “cockroaches” for continuing the movement peacefully across the country. He said their peaceful participation had kept the campaign going despite his illness. The report did not provide further details about his treatment or condition.

Congratulating supporters for expanding the movement, Dipke said he was confident that continuing the peaceful protests could secure Pradhan’s resignation. The report did not specify the movement’s next programme, schedule, or any response from the education minister.

India’s satirical political group Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, celebrated the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to a report published on July 25. On Saturday, the group posted on X, “Long live student power.” After news of the resignation, CJP shared a video from Jantar Mantar showing its founder Abhijit Dipke and thousands of gathered protesters celebrating.

Since June this year, CJP had been holding a sit-in at Jantar Mantar, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged question leaks and other irregularities in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026, or NEET-UG 2026. The group also demanded an impartial investigation. In the video, Dipke described the resignation as democracy and called for compensation of 10 million rupees for each family of students who died by suicide in connection with the alleged leak.

Dipke also urged action against police officers involved in baton charges on protesters during the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” programme. Hours before resigning, Pradhan said on X that he had sent his resignation to the prime minister so that “anti-national forces” could not exploit the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country. The exam, initially scheduled for May 3, was postponed over leak allegations and held again on June 21.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after widespread protests over irregularities in national-level examinations and an alleged leak of the medical admission test question paper. According to a report published on July 25, he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi erupted in celebration as news of the resignation emerged.

The protests began over the NEET question-paper leak and spread to several cities across India in recent days. The issue became one of the most discussed matters in national politics, the report said. Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, posted on social media in support of the students, saying, “Long live the strength of students.”

CJP founder Abhijit Dip said from the Jantar Mantar stage that the protesters had succeeded. He said many people had believed nobody resigned under the current government, but the movement had made it possible. The report cited NDTV as its source.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee may join an ongoing protest in Delhi alongside the Kokroach Janata Party, according to a report citing Hindustan Times. She is expected to travel to Delhi next Monday to express solidarity with protesting students. The report also says her Trinamool Congress is set to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

In a post on X, Banerjee said she had stood firmly with students and their movement from the beginning. She described their struggle as one not only for justice over the NEET scandal, but also for protecting the future of every young person in the country. She added that the entire opposition camp and the country's people were standing with students and youth.

The report describes the Delhi action as one of the biggest student movements in recent times. Congress marched toward the prime minister's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest police baton charges and water cannon use against students. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior Congress leaders participated. Political analysts said Banerjee's participation could also highlight Trinamool Congress's political position.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after widespread protests over irregularities in national-level examinations and an alleged leak of the NEET medical entrance examination paper. He submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, July 25, according to the report. Pradhan announced the decision in a social media post hours before a third round of talks.

Students led by the Kokroch Janata Party, or CJP, had protested for more than a month at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Pradhan’s resignation was among their key demands. On Saturday morning, the group said it would not take part in any discussions unless the government agreed to remove the education minister.

The protesters also demanded that no legal action be taken against participating students and that compensation be provided to families of students who died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak. The central government had reportedly assured protesters on Friday that it would accept the latter two demands, but had not stated a position on Pradhan’s resignation. Protesters celebrated at Jantar Mantar after the announcement.

Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media reels would not halt the student movement. In remarks reported on July 25, Ranka called for concrete action to meet students’ demands before making videos. He also demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and said the government had begun talking with students.

Ranka alleged that Delhi Police were preventing protesters from reaching the demonstration site at Jantar Mantar. Sharing screenshots of several messages on social media, he said authorities could not stop people from coming to Jantar Mantar, delivering food to protesters or assisting them. He further alleged that police were visiting restaurants and intimidating them to prevent food orders from reaching the site.

In a Saturday statement, CJP said Delhi Police’s authoritarian actions were increasing in and around Jantar Mantar. The party urged the administration to stop illegally detaining, harassing or obstructing citizens who wished to go there and to avoid creating an intimidating environment. Security was tightened in several parts of Delhi as participation grew in the CJP-led protest.

India’s Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi met students fasting for 23 consecutive days at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday and criticised the central government. The students, protesting under the leadership of the “Cockroach Janata Party,” are demanding the dismissal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Gandhi told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that students want action rather than video messages or assurances.

Gandhi described Pradhan as a symbol of corruption and destruction in India’s education system. He said reports of a plan to move the minister from the education portfolio to another ministry would not be acceptable, arguing that protesters want him removed from the government altogether. Gandhi said the students would not be satisfied with any outcome short of the education minister’s removal.

Referring to alleged police attacks, pellet firing and baton charges against protesters, Gandhi demanded punishment for those responsible and said the prime minister should apologise to students allegedly abused at Jantar Mantar. AISA leader Neha Bora said discussions with Gandhi on India’s education system were productive. Bora, who has fasted with fellow activists for 23 days, also called for Pradhan’s immediate resignation.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a new nationwide programme in India to show solidarity with protesters allegedly subjected to police abuse. The party called for candlelight marches across the country on Sunday evening, according to a report published on July 25, 2026.

In a message posted on X, the CJP said student groups and other organisations should work together on a cooperative basis to secure permissions and make related arrangements for the programme. The report described the marches as an expression of support for protesters who were victims of police abuse.

A third round of talks between the Modi government and protesters is scheduled for Saturday. However, the CJP said there was no point in entering discussions unless the government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said in an X post that the party would not retreat from its demand for Pradhan's resignation, and that no further talks would be necessary if the government did not agree.

Ahead of a planned third round of talks with India’s central government on Saturday, the protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said discussions would be meaningless unless the Modi government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a Saturday morning post on X, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the party would not withdraw its demand for Pradhan’s resignation.

The second round of talks was held Friday at Constitution Club in New Delhi between CJP representatives and central ministers J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. CJP presented three main demands: Pradhan’s resignation, assurance that protesting students would face no legal action, and compensation of one crore rupees each to families of students who died by suicide in the NEET paper leak case. The centre reportedly gave in-principle consent to the latter two demands.

Nadda said the meeting, lasting nearly two hours, also covered five proposals on examination reform, with the government due to communicate its final position at Saturday’s meeting. NDTV, citing government sources, reported that Pradhan’s resignation was unlikely. The government has announced fast-track courts, tougher penalties, a change of education secretary, dismissal of 47 National Testing Agency officials, and a commitment to fully restructure the agency.

As crowds continue to grow at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, India, over demands for the education minister’s resignation, the entire protest site has been placed under CCTV surveillance. At least three mobile surveillance vans have been deployed, and police are also using facial-recognition technology, according to the report published on July 25, 2026.

Live video and images collected through the surveillance system are being matched against police databases to identify and separate people with criminal records. The measures have renewed concerns over personal privacy, civil rights and the ethical use of such technology.

Separately, disability-rights organisations have called for a ban on pellet guns and electric shock batons for all police forces in the country. Doctors’ organisations, individuals and concerned citizens have strongly condemned allegations that such weapons were used against protesters during the “Chalo Parliament” programme held in New Delhi on July 20.