Cockroach Janata Party ends 37-day protest as India's Education Minister resigns over NEET scandal
Gen Z-led movement suspends Jantar Mantar agitation after Dharmendra Pradhan steps down and government agrees to compensation for victims' families and withdrawal of protest-related FIRs.
Government concessions end standoff
The Cockroach Janata Party announced on Saturday that it has suspended its 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to key demands, including compensation for families of students who died by suicide amid the NEET examination crisis.
Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das stated the movement is withdrawing the agitation in good faith, with the understanding that agreed-upon terms will be executed within specified timelines.
Following a third round of talks with Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the CJP secured commitments on multiple fronts. The Central government agreed to provide suitable compensation to families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and assured withdrawal of FIRs lodged against protesters across India.
The examination controversy has taken a devastating human toll, with at least 93 NEET-linked student suicides reported between 2021 and 2026. Fourteen cases were documented in 2026 by May alone, including five after the exam cancellation announcement on May 12.
Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka confirmed the government accepted the demand for Rs 1 crore compensation, stating that honorary compensation will be provided under applicable regulations. The CJP presented a five-point demand charter addressing broader educational and examination reforms, with further talks scheduled in approximately four weeks.
Origins of the movement
The Cockroach Janata Party emerged as a Gen Z-led protest movement following controversial remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on May 15, 2026. During a Supreme Court hearing about fake lawyers, the CJI made comments about unemployed youth that were widely interpreted as comparing them to cockroaches, though he later clarified the remarks were misquoted and concerned fraudulent legal practitioners, not students.
The protests, which began on June 6, 2026, were led by CJP alongside established student organizations including Students Federation of India, All India Students Association, and All India Students Federation. The movement gained additional prominence when Sonam Wangchuk, a Ladakhi environmentalist, engineer, and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, joined the demonstration on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike.
NEET paper leak scandal
The agitation was triggered by the 2026 NEET-UG examination scandal. The test, held on May 3, 2026, for over 2.27 million aspirants, was cancelled on May 12 after investigations revealed that up to 120 questions from a pre-circulated guess paper matched the actual exam. The NEET examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency, is the sole nationwide test for admission to undergraduate medical programs in India, introduced in 2013 to replace the All India Pre Medical Test.
This followed another controversy in 2024, when an unprecedented 67 candidates secured a perfect score of 720/720 marks in the May 5, 2024 examination, compared to only seven students achieving full marks from the exam's inception in 2016 until 2024. The 2024 test was conducted for approximately 2.4 million candidates at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.
Escalation and police action
Tensions peaked on July 20, 2026, when thousands of protesters, primarily students and Gen Z participants, clashed with Delhi Police near Jantar Mantar during an attempted march to Parliament. Police deployed baton charges and tear gas to prevent demonstrators from reaching the legislature during the monsoon session. Multiple FIRs were filed against protesters across India following the incident.
Das confirmed the government has agreed to withdraw all FIRs filed against protesters in Delhi and BJP-ruled or BJP-allied states. The government committed to sharing copies of all filed FIRs within three to four days and assured the withdrawal would be completed shortly. The CJP expects to receive written guarantees regarding the FIRs and future action by Tuesday.
Minister's departure
Dharmendra Pradhan, who had served as Education Minister since July 2021 and was tasked with implementing the National Education Policy 2020, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier on Saturday. In his resignation statement, Pradhan said he was stepping down in the larger interest of students to ensure the country's youth do not become trapped in a web of confusion.
CJP representatives requested all protesters to withdraw immediately and return home peacefully, stating the movement will communicate future strategy and any developments as needed.
