India’s Government Given Deadline on Student Demands After Hunger Strike Ends
India’s government is expected to announce its response by Saturday afternoon to a major youth protest movement. This comes after crucial talks on Friday and the end of a 26-day hunger strike by prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, raising hopes for a resolution to a widespread crisis over leaked national exam papers.
The protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of young people to the capital, Delhi, represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration from the youth since he took office in 2014. Opposition parties have also voiced support for the students and disrupted parliament all week.
On Friday, senior federal ministers met with leaders of the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) youth movement. CJP representatives clearly stated that their central demand is the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They warned that without this, protests would intensify across the country.
Beyond the minister’s resignation, the student movement also calls for police cases filed against protesters to be dropped. They are also seeking compensation for the families of more than a dozen students who, according to local media, died by suicide following the May exam paper leak.
The movement began as an online satire with a small following. However, it quickly gained millions of online supporters after a national medical school entrance test was cancelled in May due to widespread paper leaks, affecting about two million students.
Frustration among young Indians over frequent exam leaks and a lack of job opportunities has fueled the protests. Earlier this week, thousands of demonstrators marched towards parliament, clashing with police who used tear gas and batons.
Authorities have responded by shutting down parts of the Delhi Metro and restricting mobile internet access in protest areas. The government has also defended police surveillance at protest sites, stating there is no right to privacy in public spaces when state interest is involved.
While national elections are still years away, key state elections next year could be impacted by this anti-government sentiment. Youth-led street protests in neighboring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal have influenced political changes in recent years.
