Thousands of protesters camped at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday, returning after overnight police clashes even after Modi announced fast-track courts for exam paper leak cases.
16 Delhi Metro stations across central New Delhi were shut to restrict access, following a second police crackdown this week in which officers used tear gas and batons against marchers.
Protesters said the court plan did not meet demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, wider exam-system reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after leaks.
The movement began over alleged leaks in elite medical-college and government-job exams, then widened as activist Sonam Wangchuk’s three-week hunger strike and opposition backing turned it into a broader outlet for youth anger.
India’s youth-heavy electorate has embraced the protests as a rare public challenge to Modi, linking exam leaks to wider frustration over accountability, unemployment and limited economic opportunity.