Thousands return to New Delhi protest site over exam scandal and reforms

Thousands of young protesters returned to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi a day after police broke up their demonstrations, keeping pressure on authorities over India’s failures in education. Led by students, supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party and other youth groups, the crowd framed the gathering as a demand for accountability after an exam scandal and repeated paper leaks.

The confrontation on July 20 turned violent as police used batons and tear gas to disperse marchers heading toward Parliament, and some protesters threw stones at security officers. Injury counts varied: Al Jazeera said more than 100 students were hurt, while Reuters and U.S. News & World Report put the total injured at 180.

The protesters demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, tying the demonstrations to deeper frustration over exam access, school quality and job prospects. The anger had been building since July 14, when activist Sonam Wangchuk was urged to end a hunger strike over exam leaks, a sign that the unrest in Delhi was only the latest flare-up in a wider struggle over corruption and access in the education system.

What began as a satirical protest has widened into a national challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Amnesty International said the crackdown on protesters in New Delhi raised serious human-rights concerns, and the scenes echoed earlier student mobilizations in India over citizenship law and other issues, where police also used force against demonstrators.