NEW DELHI, July 25 — The Indian government is set to begin a fresh round of talks today with leaders of a Gen-Z protest that led to disruptions in the capital this week, as demonstrators press a demand for the Education Minister to resign.
The protests represent the biggest youth challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014, their demands echoed by opposition parties, which disrupted Parliament's monsoon session that began this week.
Thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) rallied in central Delhi despite the fourth day of closure of the city's 18 metro stations, as authorities tried to limit access to the protest site.
"They have given us a time between 3.30pm and 4pm today," said CJP national spokesman Ashutosh Ranka.
"We need clarity on Dharmendra Pradhan's future. Will the government seek his resignation or not? We want a yes or no answer," he added, referring to the Education Minister, whom students want to see take responsibility for flaws in the examination system.
Anger has boiled over since police cracked down on Monday (July 20), injuring many students after they launched baton charges and fired tear gas to deter tens of thousands of protesters marching on Parliament.
The protests, led largely by young people, reflect anger over job scarcity, corruption and government accountability, widening since they were unleashed by discontent over leaks of question papers for high-stakes entrance exams.
At yesterday's talks, party representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka warned federal ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh that the protests could spread unless Pradhan stepped down.
Those talks came hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike, raising hopes for a breakthrough.
Two sources, speaking anonymously, said that the government extended a mobile Internet shutdown in the area for the fifth straight day today.
Protesters aired frustration over the extended shutdown but vowed not to let it weaken their movement.
"They can shut down (the) Internet, metros, and buses, but what will that achieve? Nothing. People who want to join the protest will still come," said Rahul Raj, a 34-year-old protester at the site.
The protests were galvanised by leaks of question papers for medical school entrance examinations that forced more than two million candidates to retake tests, exposing shortcomings in the education system.
Protesters are demanding Dharmendra's resignation and sweeping exam reforms.
