NEW DEHLI – India’s education minister said Saturday he had resigned in a major victory for young protesters, whose spiraling demonstrations have presented a rare and growing challenge to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Protesters have been calling for accountability after allegations entrance exams to esteemed medical schools had been leaked and sold, with the unrest led by a youth campaign known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, bowing to mounting pressure after tens of thousands of students and supporters took to the streets demanding his removal and sweeping reforms to India’s examination system. Modi has not yet publicly accepted his resignation. In the wake of his resignation, the CJP announced it would end its nationwide protests “with immediate effect,” because the government had agreed to its demands. These demands included compensation for the families of students who, according to Indian media reports, took their own lives after learning their exam results would be scrapped. According to the CJP, the government has also agreed to review the party’s five-point exam reform plan, and will meet with members of the movement to discuss this. Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, hailed Pradhan’s resignation in a statement following the announcement, while adding that there was still more to be done.
