NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pledged “stringent punishment” for those responsible for examination fraud, addressing the issue publicly for the first time as nationwide student protests continue to intensify.
His remarks followed a large demonstration in New Delhi on Wednesday, where thousands of protesters led by the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement took to the streets, resulting in renewed clashes with police.
“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” Modi wrote in a post on X, announcing plans to establish fast-track courts to prosecute those involved in question paper leaks.
“Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared,” he added.
The demonstrations, largely driven by students, began last month with demands for the resignation of India’s education minister over repeated exam paper leaks.
The unrest intensified on Monday after police used tear gas and batons to disperse tens of thousands of protesters attempting to march towards parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session.
Some demonstrators responded by throwing stones, leading to the largest protest in the Indian capital in nearly five years.
Police said at least 178 people, including members of the security forces, were injured during the clashes.
The CJP, which commands millions of followers on social media, first emerged in May as a satirical movement after Chief Justice Surya Kant was reported to have referred to young people as “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing.
Since then, the movement has expanded its focus to include concerns over unemployment, limited opportunities for young people, and what it describes as Modi’s increasingly authoritarian style of governance.
The protests have become one of the most significant public challenges faced by the Hindu nationalist leader since securing a third consecutive term in office in 2024.
Public confidence in India’s examination system has been shaken by a series of irregularities, including the leak of a medical entrance exam paper that forced more than two million candidates to retake the test.
Anger has also been fuelled by a separate controversy surrounding the online marking of examinations taken by nearly two million high school students.
