By T N Ashok
India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister on Saturday afternoon after 36 days of nationwide student-led protests triggered by irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination.
The students leaders said they would decide on the future of their agitation once they received official confirmation from the government on Pradhan’s resignation and government stance on other issues.
In his resignation letter, Dharmendra Pradhan stated he stepped down to ensure students can focus on their studies without legal complications and to prevent “anti-national elements” from taking advantage of the agitation.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin hailed Pradhan’s role in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), stating that his decision to step aside reflects high standards of integrity in public life.
Movement founder Abhijeet Dipke stated the protest group took its name following a controversial remark by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant referring to agitators as “cockroaches.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day indefinite hunger strike shortly before midnight on July 23 after the Centre gave written assurances regarding non-prosecution of peaceful protesters, parliamentary discussions on exam reform, and compensation considerations.
CJP leaders (Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka) clarified that while Pradhan’s exit is a major milestone, the sit-in at Jantar Mantar will continue until all core demands are met in writing.
Status of CJP Core Demands
| Demand | Status | Current Position |
| Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan | Fulfilled | Resignation submitted on July 25 |
| ₹1 Crore Compensation | Pending | Demanded for families of students who died by suicide |
| No Legal Action Against Protesters | Pending | In-principle agreement reached; awaiting formal written confirmation |
| Public Apology from Police/RAF | Pending | Demanded for heavy-handed police actions during demonstration. |
Protesters celebrated the resignation announcement by replacing signs with “Resigned” placards. However, CJP leaders reaffirmed that protests will persist until formal written agreements on all pending points are delivered.
Security was heightened around Central Delhi, with Delhi Police firing tear gas following isolated scuffles near Tolstoy Road. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) restricted access across 18 stations while maintaining interchange access at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, and Central Secretariat.
CJP representatives (Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das) were invited for further talks with government ministers to finalize agreements.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), and Mamata Banerjee (TMC) welcomed the resignation as a “victory for student power and democracy,” with Banerjee planning to visit the protest site on Monday.
Sonam Wangchuk termed the event a “victory of direct democracy,” stressing that the focus must now pivot toward systemic examination reforms. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat noted that today’s youth demand explanations and open dialogue rather than blind obedience.
As part of their wider movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) released a charter titled “5 Demands to End India’s Exam Crisis”. During negotiations with Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the protest leadership laid out these specific structural reforms alongside their immediate demands for accountability and compensation.
The CJP released its five point charter of demands including a new public examinations act, overhaul of examination bodies,, students welfare fund, a students rights charter and continuous Parliamentary oversight.
While the Centre has shown in-principle agreement on immediate demands like compensation and withdrawing legal cases against peaceful protesters, discussions over these broader structural reforms are expected to be the focus of the ongoing talks. The CJP and the protesting students have won the battle against the Centre but the fight for the overhaul of the education system is still on. (IPA Service)
