Government Seeks More Time on Education Minister Resignation Demand

The Indian government has sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond to protesters’ demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following discussions with leaders of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement. The talks came shortly after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike, raising hopes of a possible resolution to the ongoing protests over alleged examination paper leaks.

The demonstrations have emerged as one of the biggest youth-led challenges to the central government in recent years, with opposition parties backing the protesters and disrupting Parliament’s monsoon session. During the meeting, protest leaders reiterated that the minister’s resignation remains their primary demand and warned that protests would intensify if no action is taken. Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh represented the government in the discussions.

Apart from seeking the education minister’s resignation, the protesters have also demanded that police cases against demonstrators be withdrawn and compensation be provided to the families of students who reportedly died by suicide following the exam paper leak controversy. The government has assured the protest leaders that their demands will be discussed further during the next round of talks scheduled for Saturday.

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