“Resign Now”: Pressure mounts on India’s Education Minister
July 23 2026
Thousands of students and young people have taken to the streets across India in one of the country’s largest youth-led protest movements in recent years, demanding accountability following the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) amid allegations of a major question paper leak.
The demonstrations, centred in New Delhi but echoed in several other cities, have been driven by anger over what protesters describe as repeated failures to safeguard India’s highly competitive examination system.
NEET serves as the gateway to medical education for approximately two million aspiring doctors each year, making any disruption to the examination process life-changing for countless students.
Protesters are calling for the resignation of India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, comprehensive reforms to the country’s examination system, and justice for students whose academic futures have been disrupted.
Many demonstrators argue that repeated examination leaks have eroded public confidence in the fairness of competitive entrance exams.
The movement has grown beyond concerns surrounding the medical entrance examination, with many young Indians also voicing frustration over youth unemployment, corruption, and limited career opportunities. Demonstrators have continued to stage sit-ins despite a heavy police presence and reports of clashes between protesters and security forces in the capital.
In response to mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged swift action against those responsible for examination fraud, announcing plans to establish fast-track courts to prosecute officials involved in exam paper leaks. However, he stopped short of dismissing the education minister a key demand of protesters.
Despite the government’s assurances, protest organizers say demonstrations will continue until concrete reforms are implemented and those responsible for the examination scandal are held fully accountable.
The unrest has become one of the most significant public challenges facing Prime Minister Modi’s administration during his third term in office.
