Tens of thousands of protesters were attacked by police using tear gas and batons in New Delhi on July 20 as they marched to parliament to demand the resignation of the education minister.
More than 100 students were injured. One student, 18-year-old Anshul Dev, told Al Jazeera the government “is treating us like terrorists and criminals”.
The youth-led protests began in May after exam papers for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) leaked online, voiding the results of the exam and forcing more than 2 million students to resit.
The NEET is a high-pressure nationwide exam that screens students eligibility for admission to undergraduate medical programs.
Students called for resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his handling of the NEET exam leak, and ongoing concerns with corruption and attacks against the public education system.
This leak is only the latest in a series of leaks that have undermined trust in India's education system, which many blame Pradhan and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for undermining.
The NEET exam itself has been the subject of longstanding controversy, including over its centralised structure, commercialised coaching culture and the immense psychological distress placed on students.
More than 12 students committed suicide after the cancellation, adding to a total of 93 NEET-linked student suicides across India since 2021.
For many young people, the NEET and similar exams are critical to determining their future employment opportunities, and failure can mean lifelong poverty and disadvantage.
The movement gained momentum when Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites, triggering widespread outrage.
In response, the satirical Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) campaign emerged as a youth movement demanding greater transparency and accountability. The CJP campaign strike a chord with India’s “Gen Z” and has become one of the biggest expressions of dissent against Narendra Modi’s BJP government.
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke addressed a gathering at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on June 6, stating that if Pradhan refused to vacate his seat, the youth would not vacate Jantar Mantar. Since then a protest camp at Jantar Mantar has rapidly expanded, becoming an expression of deep anger against Modi’s attacks on youth, democratic rights and Hindu-nationalism.
The movement is supported by a wide range of student and youth groups, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India.
AISA president Neha Bora, alongside AISA members Manish Kumar and Aameen Amitoj, participated in a historic 23-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. They joined renowned activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began fasting on June 28 before police forcibly admitted him to hospital over his deteriorating health on July 18. Dozens of other students joined the hunger strike for shorter periods.
Several opposition politicians, celebrities and writers like Arundhati Roy have visited the camp to lend their support.
Neha, Manish and Aameen are all PhD students, at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Allahabad University and Ambedkar University respectively. While the hunger-strikers were unable to speak because of deteriorating health, AISA representative Saiyed told AltNews they were striking because “those in power no longer believe accountability is their responsibility”.
“We are seeking Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the dismantling of the National Testing Agency, and the rollback of the National Education Policy 2020,” Saiyed said.
All three lost more than 10% of their body weight and were showing signs of ketosis before they ended the strike. Manish had lost more than 10 kilograms and had begun bleeding from his gums, while Neha was in the most critical condition with critically low blood sugar levels.
The July 20 march was the culmination of this historic hunger strike. From her hospital bed, Neha said: “After the police lathi [heavy bamboo stick] charge, you have all returned after enduring injuries and tear gas, you are keeping this movement alive, my salute to all of you.
“Every stick, every drop of blood will have to be accounted for by Delhi Police … Your lathi charge will not break us, your tear gas will not break us, the youth will break your arrogance!”
Modi is yet to comment on the police violence, the hunger strike or the NEET exam leak.
AISA secretary Anjali said: “Indefinite protest will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan is shown the door.” She added that this is the same country where farmers fought pro-corporate farm laws and compelled the government to withdraw them.
“The need of the hour is that all struggling people — workers, farmers, students, teachers, Muslims, women and all marginalised sections of society — unite and resist the onslaught on their lives, rights and livelihoods.”