Bangkok: India's Education Minister has resigned following nationwide youth protests over leaked exam questions. Protesters celebrated their victory, congratulating those involved and announcing the end of their protests, which have lasted more than five weeks.

According to Thai News Agency, Dharmendra Pradhan, India's Minister of Education, announced his resignation on Saturday (July 25) via the X platform. He stated that he had decided to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to defuse the escalating protests in over a dozen cities across the country and to prevent "groups posing a threat to national security" from exploiting the tense situation at Jantar Mantar for political gain. In addition to the minister's resignation as a key condition, the Indian government also agreed to other demands from the youth groups, including compensation for the families of students who committed suicide due to stress over the leaked exam questions and the dropping of all charges filed by the police against the protesters. The government immediately announced the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as the new Minister of Education.

Following the resignation of the minister, leaders of the group calling themselves the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) negotiated with representatives of the Indian government. A spokesperson then issued a statement accepting the agreement and officially ending the protests, as their main demands had been met. This victory is considered a rare and significant political setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which has rarely yielded to public protests. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, congratulated and praised the power of the younger generation, calling it a victory for direct democracy from the streets.

This protest was initiated by Abhijit Deepke, a 30-year-old student studying in the United States. It began as an online satirical campaign in response to criticism from India's Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who had previously used the term "cockroaches and parasites of society" to describe unemployed young people. Gen Z then adopted the word "cockroach" as a symbol of resilience, persistence, and unwavering determination in their demands for employment rights and education reform. The protests have been ongoing since June, stemming from dissatisfaction over leaked medical school entrance exam questions. However, the discontent escalated after police used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters marching to parliament last week, resulting in dozens of students being injured.

In addition to the exam leak issue, the movement also reflects youth dissatisfaction with job shortages, corruption, and demands for greater government accountability.