BREAKING: Education Minister Resigns [DETAILS]
India’s Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned following days of youth-led demonstrations demanding sweeping reforms to the country’s education system.
Thousands of young people had taken to the streets of New Delhi and other parts of the country under the banner of the social media-driven Cockroach Janta Party, mounting pressure on the government to address their demands and remove Pradhan from office.
The protests, which were largely centred around the Jantar Mantar demonstration site in central New Delhi, intensified during the week as demonstrators attempted to march towards parliament.
Police fired tear gas and used batons against some protesters during the demonstrations.
Announcing his decision, Pradhan said the unrest witnessed over the previous 10 days had caused him concern, stressing that remaining in office was not a matter of personal prestige.
“I am pained to see the events of the past 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me,” Pradhan said in a statement posted on X.
The minister subsequently confirmed that he had submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister.
“I have sent my resignation letter to the prime minister,” he said in the letter written in Hindi.
Pradhan also acknowledged the importance of young people to India’s development, pledging that their concerns should not be ignored.
“India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation. My resolve is that we will not let the country’s youth get trapped in a vicious cycle of confusion,” he added.
The Indian government had opened negotiations with leaders of the CJP in an attempt to end the demonstrations.
Two rounds of talks were held on Monday and Friday, but the initial negotiations reportedly failed to produce significant progress as the youth-led movement insisted that its demands must be addressed.
The protesters had demanded reforms to the education system alongside Pradhan’s resignation.
The minister announced his resignation ahead of a planned third round of negotiations between government representatives and the protest leaders.
Following Pradhan’s resignation, the CJP announced that its demands had been met after another round of discussions with the government.
The group subsequently called off the protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations.
The demonstrations had attracted thousands of young Indians and gained momentum through social media, putting the government under mounting pressure over the country’s education system.