Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a task force to overhaul the country's examination system on Sunday (Jul 26), following weeks of youth protests over exam paper leaks. The task force, led by tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani, aims to make the system more trustworthy and transparent. Modi also pledged new legislation to tighten penalties for exam-related offenses, set to be introduced in parliament on Monday (Jul 27).
The protests, spearheaded by the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday (Jul 25). The movement, which began in May after the cancellation of India's NEET medical entrance exam due to a question paper leak, demanded Pradhan's resignation, reforms to the exam system, and compensation for families of students who died by suicide. The government accepted these demands, dropping police cases against protesters and agreeing to compensate affected families.
The CJP, founded by 30-year-old Abhijeet Dipke, has gained millions of followers on social media. Protests turned violent in New Delhi on Jul 20 when demonstrators attempted to march toward parliament. The movement has been compared to similar youth-led uprisings in Nepal and Bangladesh, where protests over elite privilege and economic stagnation led to political resignations.
Modi's announcement marks the first major policy response to the protests, which have highlighted widespread youth frustration over unemployment and systemic failures in education. Nearly 40% of graduates aged 15 to 25 are unemployed, according to a recent report by Azim Premji University.