India’s education minister steps down after violent NEET protests

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned following weeks of protests over an exam paper leak that allegedly drove dozens of students to suicide.

India’s Education Minister Resigns Amid Weeks of Protests

Pradhan announced his resignation on X on Saturday, attaching a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he said he was stepping down to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the unrest, according to RT. The protests, led by a movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party, centred on the cancelled NEET medical entrance exam, which affected over 2.2 million students after allegations of a leaked “guess paper.”

Delhi police said nearly 180 people were injured in clashes earlier in the week. Protest leaders say they will continue pushing for compensation for victims’ families and action against police over the crackdown.