Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 23 July 2026 that the government would establish fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks. The announcement, made via social media, came after days of escalating protests in New Delhi led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth movement demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government framed the move as part of a series of steps to safeguard students' interests, with Modi stating that those who harm the future of the youth “will not be spared.”

The CJP immediately rejected the fast-track courts as a distraction, with spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka arguing that paper leaks stem from systemic incompetence, not a lack of judicial mechanisms. The movement reiterated its core demand for Pradhan's resignation, along with compensation for families of students who died by suicide and the dropping of cases against peaceful protesters. The opposition Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, echoed these demands, accusing the government of presiding over the destruction of the education system and protecting those responsible. Gandhi also called for an apology to students and action against police excesses during the protests.

Viewed from New Delhi, the protests represent one of the most significant youth-led challenges to Modi's third term, which began in 2024. The CJP, which originated as a satirical online movement after a Supreme Court judge reportedly likened young people to “cockroaches”, has broadened its agenda to include unemployment and what it describes as authoritarian governance. The exam leak crisis has eroded trust in India's testing system, with a medical entrance exam leak forcing over two million candidates to retake the test, and a separate dispute over online marking of high school exams further fuelling public anger. The protests have disrupted the monsoon session of parliament, with both ruling and opposition MPs staging demonstrations, and have led to the closure of 16 Delhi metro stations for security reasons.

The government has held one round of talks with CJP leaders and offered to debate the issues in parliament, but the protesters have vowed to continue their sit-in until Pradhan resigns. The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear a public interest litigation on 24 July seeking an NIA probe into the 20 July “Sansad Chalo” march, during which police used tear gas and batons, injuring scores of protesters and over 100 police personnel. With the CJP declaring it will not move from the protest site even if it takes “25 months”, and opposition parties planning further parliamentary disruptions, the political standoff shows no sign of abating.