Cockroach Janata Party suspends 37-day protest after education minister resigns, government accepts demands
Gen Z-led movement ends Jantar Mantar agitation following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and government assurances on NEET exam reforms, FIR withdrawals, and compensation for families of students who died by suicide.
Government accepts compensation and FIR withdrawal demands
The Cockroach Janata Party announced Saturday it has suspended its 37-day protest at Jantar Mantar after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to key demands related to the NEET examination controversy.
Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das told reporters at the Constitution Club that the movement was withdrawing the agitation "in good faith" following the third round of talks with Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh. "We withdraw the agitation with the understanding that the agreed-upon terms will be executed within the agreed-upon timelines," Das said.
The government agreed to provide compensation to families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and committed to withdrawing FIRs lodged against protesters across India. Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka confirmed the compensation agreement: "The government has agreed to this, stating that an honorary compensation will be given to those families under whatever rules and regulations allow."
Regarding the FIRs filed after the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march, Das said the government accepted the demand for withdrawal. "All the FIRs filed against the protesters, not just in Delhi but in all BJP-ruled and BJP-allied states, should be withdrawn. The government has accepted that demand as well," he stated. The government will share copies of the estimated 15 to 20 FIRs filed in Delhi within three to four days, with withdrawals to follow shortly.
The CJP presented a five-point demand charter focused on broader educational and exam reforms. Another round of talks will be held in four weeks to discuss implementation of these longer-term changes.
Minister steps down amid mounting pressure
Earlier Saturday, Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating he was stepping down "in the larger interest of students to ensure that the country's youth do not become trapped in a web of confusion."
The controversy erupted after the NEET-UG paper leak emerged in May. The examination, conducted on May 5, 2024, saw approximately 2.4 million candidates appear at around 4,750 centres across 571 cities. The National Testing Agency, an autonomous body established in 2017 under the Ministry of Education, administers the mandatory entrance test for all undergraduate medical courses in India.
Investigations in Bihar revealed that some aspirants paid between Rs 30 to 50 lakh to brokers for obtaining question papers before the examination, resulting in 13 arrests including four examinees. The Ministry of Education subsequently assigned the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe alleged irregularities on June 23, 2024.
Adding to the controversy, the NTA initially awarded compensatory grace marks to 1,563 candidates who lost time at certain centres, but later withdrew these marks and offered a re-examination after Supreme Court intervention. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was passed on June 21, 2024 specifically to combat illegal practices in entrance examinations.
Origins of the protest movement
The Cockroach Janata Party took its name from Chief Justice Surya Kant's May 15, 2026 remarks during a Supreme Court hearing when he stated "There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment," which sparked widespread criticism. The Chief Justice later clarified the remark was directed at fake law degree holders, but the comment had already inspired the satirical movement name.
The movement gained momentum despite a Supreme Court ruling on July 23, 2024 that found no indications of overall systemic failure and denied any large-scale leak of the NEET-UG 2024 paper, refusing to order a re-examination.
"We request the protesters to withdraw immediately and return home peacefully," Ranka said. "We will inform you of our future strategy or any other issues." The CJP expects to receive written guarantees from the government regarding FIR withdrawals and future actions by Tuesday.
