Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of fast-track courts to prosecute officials involved in exam paper leaks and promised stringent penalties for exam fraud on Friday, seeking to contain a widening scandal that has forced more than two million medical entrance exam candidates to resit their tests.
The Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical movement born in May after remarks by a senior judge, rejected Modi's proposals and demanded Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi cited 152 exam leaks over the past decade with no convictions and called for Pradhan's ouster. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose June hunger strike was forcibly ended by police, helped galvanize the movement.
Tensions remain high after police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators in New Delhi on Sunday, with at least 178 people injured. The leak has been linked to student suicides, deepening public anger.