How India’s Gen Z Forced an Education Minister to Resign

India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday following weeks of student-led protests over alleged irregularities in the country's national medical entrance examination, marking one of the biggest youth-led demonstrations in recent years.

The resignation is also the first-ever from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet in the 12 years he's led the country.

The protest, which began on June 6, transformed central New Delhi into the epicenter of a nationwide movement demanding accountability for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) exam leak, reforms to India's examination system, and Pradhan's resignation.

On Saturday, as news of the minister's resignation spread, thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar - the capital's designated protest site - to celebrate a victory for India's Gen Z and the so-called Cockroach Janta Party which led the protests.

"Given the situation that has developed at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation, so the country's unity is preserved ... with these thoughts in mind, I have sent my resignation letter to the Hon'ble Prime Minister," wrote Pradhan on X.

The resignation took place days after violent clashes on July 20, when thousands of protestors marched towards India's Parliament in a demonstration dubbed as 'Sansad Chalo' (March to Parliament).

Delhi Police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd after protestors attempted to move beyond barricades, marching towards the Parliament as its Monsoon Session began with restrictive measures in place.

Images and videos of police brutally thrashing students quickly spread online. In one video, a top Delhi cop can be seen slapping a woman. In another, a police officer is seen shoving a baton into a female's private area. Several videos of assaults went viral on Social media.

Days after the protest, Delhi police also released CCTV footage showing vandalism and stone pelting by the students.

The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth led movement that first emerged online after India's Chief Justice, Surya Kant, called unemployed youth "cockroaches" and "parasites", sparking widespread anger and outrage.

The movement, initiated by Abhijeet Dipke, an Indian student studying at Boston University in the United States, soon evolved from an online campaign into a nationwide protest network.

The movement gained momentum following allegations that the NEET, India's highly competitive medical entrance examination taken by millions of students annually, had been compromised by an exam paper leak.

According to reports published in Indian media, more than 20 students committed suicide following the paper leak. In a late-night video published before the Education Minister's resignation, Prime Minister Modi assured strict action towards those liable for the crime and also set up fast-track courts to punish those responsible for paper leak.

"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!" Modi wrote on X on July 23. "We have decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks ... Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared."

Hours before the resignation, CJP's National Spokesperson said they were hopeful the Education Minister would step down.

"There has been a positive response from the government regarding compensation for NEET-affected families, and there will be no FIRs against peaceful protesters. We have a meeting with the government today. But Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was non-negotiable," CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told International Business Times.

"The youth of the country has woken up. They have been on the streets for more than 35 days. Our demands go beyond one minister. We are asking for broader reforms in India's education and examination system," he said.

Referring to the July 20 police crack down, Ranka alleged that protesters were subjected to excessive force.

"July 20 was a black day for Indian democracy. Students were dragged on the streets, beaten with batons, and tear gas was fired. Even our volunteers who were helping police manage the crowd were beaten," he claimed.

Ranka also alleged that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had joined the movement through a hunger strike, was illegally detained before July 20.

His wife, Geetanjali, was also present during the march. According to Ranka, she was manhandled during the police action. The authorities have not publicly acknowledged or responded to these allegations.

While the political outcome came on Saturday, the development followed weeks of struggle and hardship for the protesters.

Students slept on streets and sidewalks near Jantar Mantar through Delhi's summer heat and monsoon rains, refusing to leave until their demands were met.

Protesters kept fanning each other with hand-held fans in the humid weather of north India, water, food poured at protest site from across the country, with people sending food delivery for protestors.

The Gen Z students refused to leave the site after the brutal police crackdown, which also allegedly included blocking internet access near the protest site, barricades and continuous police presence.

Among the protesters was 22-year-old Shahnaaz from West Bengal, who travelled nearly 1,400 kilometers over three days to join the movement at Jantar Mantar.

"The government wants to divide us on the basis of religion. They do not care about our education. It's not just entrance exams anymore, even primary education in our country is suffering. We wanted accountability, and we wanted his resignation," she told International Business Times.

Vivek, another protestor who came from Ratlam, a city in central India, is a student preparing for the government teacher recruitment examination. He said repeated delays and alleged paper leaks have left thousands of aspirants uncertain about their futures.

"I was at the rally and was beaten by the Delhi Police," he told International Business Times. "As soon we marched towards Parliament at around 2:00 PM, the police started beating us and fired tear gas."

At the time, a spokesperson for the United Nations said the body was aware of the protests in New Delhi and that "It is important that people wishing to protest peacefully be allowed to do so without the fear of harassment, the fear of arrest, or the fear of injury."

On Saturday, following the resignation of the Education Minister, Dipke, the Cockroach Janta Party leader, wrote on social media:

"Going to take a nap. See you all in a little while."