Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that fast-track courts would be set up to prosecute those responsible for India exam paper leaks, marking his first public response after days of youth-led protests demanding the resignation of the education minister, according to Reuters. The announcement came hours after protesters clashed briefly with police in New Delhi late on Wednesday, with officers firing tear gas and using canes to disperse crowds. The protests have grown into the biggest youth challenge to Modi since he came to power in 2014, Reuters reported.
“We have decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks,” Modi said in a post on X, adding that the move was part of continuing steps to safeguard students’ interests. Fast-track courts are special judicial mechanisms designed to expedite case resolution within India’s often slow-moving justice system, and have previously been used for cases involving crimes against women and children, terrorism and money laundering.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which launched the protests last month over exam paper leaks affecting an estimated 2 million students, responded to Modi’s announcement by demanding that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi also responded to Modi’s post, saying the prime minister bore responsibility for damage to the education system and repeating calls for Pradhan’s resignation, an apology from Modi, and accountability for those who allegedly assaulted protesting students.
Local media reported that more than 10,000 people gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central New Delhi late on Wednesday, according to Reuters. CJP leaders said the protest, which they described as having lasted 25 days, would continue for as long as necessary until Pradhan resigned. Some protesters threw stones and plastic bottles at police on Wednesday night, injuring several officers who were taken to hospital, according to Delhi Police cited by news agency ANI.
On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters marched toward parliament and clashed with police in several locations before being pushed back with tear gas, Reuters reported. The demonstrations have disrupted the ongoing monsoon session of parliament and represent the biggest political crisis of Modi’s third term, which began in 2024, according to Reuters.
Amid the unrest, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said it was shutting 16 stations in and around central New Delhi on Thursday until further notice, marking the second large-scale closure this week due to security concerns. StudioX News has separately reported in detail on the Delhi Metro station closures amid the ongoing protests, with further details on affected routes and reopening timelines available on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s official website.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest would not end until Pradhan’s resignation, telling demonstrators late Wednesday that the movement would persist even if it took 25 months. The Modi government has held one round of talks with CJP leaders and offered to consider their demands, including a parliamentary debate on the issue and broader exam system reforms, according to Reuters.
The announcement has also intensified debate over how examination systems are monitored and protected from leaks. Students and their families have called for stronger safeguards, faster investigations and greater accountability from authorities. The government’s proposed fast-track courts are expected to focus on speeding up legal proceedings and delivering timely action in cases linked to paper leaks.
The CJP began as a small online satire movement involving only a few hundred young people before growing into a mass protest, Reuters reported. Its rise reflects wider frustrations among young Indians over job shortages and repeated exam leaks, and has given opposition parties, including the Congress party under Gandhi, an opening to pressure Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of future elections. The BJP has historically counted young voters as a core support base.
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