India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned following days of nationwide youth-led protests demanding major reforms to the country’s education system.
Thousands of young demonstrators gathered in New Delhi and other parts of India under the banner of the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), calling for sweeping changes in the education sector and Pradhan’s removal from office.
The protests, centered around the Jantar Mantar demonstration site in the capital, escalated as participants attempted to march toward Parliament. Security forces responded by deploying tear gas and batons to disperse some protesters during the clashes.
Announcing his resignation, Pradhan said the unrest over the past 10 days had deeply troubled him, adding that remaining in office was not a matter of personal pride.
In a statement shared on X, the minister expressed sadness over the developments and confirmed that he had submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister.
Pradhan also emphasized the importance of India’s youth, describing them as the nation’s greatest strength and stressing that their concerns should not be overlooked.
Before his resignation, the government had held two rounds of talks with leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party in an effort to resolve the crisis. However, negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough as protesters insisted that both education reforms and the minister’s resignation were non-negotiable.
Pradhan eventually stepped down ahead of a planned third round of discussions between government officials and protest leaders.
Following his resignation, the CJP announced that its key demands had been met after further consultations with the government and declared an end to the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and other protest locations.
The protests, which drew thousands of young Indians and gained widespread support through social media, intensified pressure on the government over concerns about the country’s education system.
