Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a rare video statement on Thursday night, describing the examination paper leaks as "not a trivial matter" and "extremely painful" for hundreds of thousands of students and their families. He assured that culprits had been apprehended and his government is pursuing "fast-track courts and stringent punishments." This move came as student protests continued to spread across India on Friday, with growing calls for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.
Students are demanding Pradhan's resignation due to a series of failures within India's education system, including leaks in a major medical entrance exam. The protests represent a significant challenge to Modi's leadership, the largest youth-led movement since the 2020-21 farmer protests. According to Bloomberg analyst Chetna Kumar, these demonstrations highlight a deeper problem: a disconnect between the country's economic growth and opportunities for educated young Indians. The intense competition for professional degrees and government jobs makes entrance exams high-stakes gateways to upward mobility, and recurring paper leaks, recruitment irregularities, and delays have severely eroded public confidence.
The protests, which have seen opposition parties back the student demands and disrupt the monsoon session of Parliament, also prompted the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to call for nationwide peaceful protests, and later, for Modi himself to resign. Student activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike helped galvanize the movement, ended his fast on Thursday. Meanwhile, the government made significant administrative changes within the Education Ministry. Markets have largely shrugged off the protests, with the India VIX remaining low and the rupee's fluctuations attributed more to oil prices than the domestic unrest.
