The month-long student-led agitation over the NEET paper leak and wider examination reforms was called off on Saturday (July 25) after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced that the Union government had agreed to several of its key demands, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and withdrawal of police cases against protesters.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference held by the CJP and the Union government. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said Pradhan’s resignation fulfilled the movement’s first demand and described the government’s acceptance of the demands as being done “in good faith and on the agreed-upon terms”.

The protesters’ second major demand, seeking withdrawal of existing FIRs and an assurance that no fresh cases would be registered or action initiated against those involved in the agitation, was also accepted, Das said. “The government has said they would be withdrawn and no action would be taken against the organisers either,” he said. The CJP is expected to receive details of the FIRs already registered within a few days.

Das also said the CJP had shared a draft “guarantee” with the government seeking immunity for student-agitators and expressed hope that it would be accepted without changes. The government is expected to respond to the draft by Tuesday (July 28).

The families of students who died by suicide following the NEET undergraduate paper leak earlier this year have also been assured compensation, with the payments to be made according to “rules and regulations”, Das said.

On the CJP’s five-point agenda concerning examination and education reforms, the government has sought four weeks to respond, a timeline that the protesters have agreed to.

Union minister J.P. Nadda, who addressed the press conference after Das, confirmed the government’s position.

“The demand for no FIRs to be filed and no action to be taken on FIRs that have already been filed have been accepted by the government,” Nadda said.

He said protesters would not face cases in the future in connection with the agitation and also backed the demand for compensation.

“We are also sympathetic to those who are bereaved due to exams and we will give them what is the maximum allowed under the law,” Nadda added.

He added that the government would “try to do” whatever was possible in consultation with representatives of the CJP.

However, the agreement made no mention of another demand raised by the CJP and opposition parties—the call for an apology from security forces over the alleged violence during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on July 20.

Pradhan had announced his resignation earlier on Saturday afternoon in a letter posted on social media. It marked the first resignation under public pressure during Narendra Modi’s tenure as prime minister.

“Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and elsewhere in the country, and so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of the circumstances, national unity is maintained, no student’s future gets entangled in legal complications, and our children can focus on their studies and building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” Pradhan wrote.

“I sincerely thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister for his guidance, trust, and continuous support. I also express my gratitude to all my esteemed colleagues in the Council of Ministers, the officers and employees of the Ministry, and everyone with whom I had the privilege of working. Serving the nation has always been the highest priority of my life, and I shall remain dedicated to it,” he continued.

“With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, I will continue to dedicate myself in every possible way to serving Mother India, the people of Odisha, and fulfilling the aspirations of the youth of our nation,” he added.

Although Pradhan referred to “ant-national forces” in his resignation message, the demand for his removal had gained momentum nationwide over the preceding weeks. What began as an online campaign initiated by Abhijeet Dipke and the Cockroach Janata Party expanded into a wider mobilisation involving students, young people, their supporters and opposition parties.

The movement gained further momentum following the police action against protesters during the July 20 demonstration in Delhi.

Opposition leaders welcomed the development and described Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for students and democratic mobilisation.

Leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi said, “Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is a huge step towards reshaping our education system. Well done to students across the country; we are proud of all of you. Heartiest congratulations to every young person, every student who took to the streets and stood firm to protect democracy, the Constitution, and their future.”

He also pointed to the remaining demands concerning compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak and protection from legal action for those who participated in the protests.

“For other sections of society—farmers, labourers, the poor, every person whom this government has suppressed and crushed—true courage lies in standing firm in a constitutional manner for one’s dignity. The time has come to remove this government,” he continued.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed the decision but said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to students over the alleged police brutality during the protests.

“India’s ‘Students’ Echo’ has finally reached the threshold of the arrogant power. This is the victory of our millions of youth who raised their voices on the streets across the country to fix the education system. This is the victory of truth and the defeat of Mr. Modi’s stubbornness. This is the victory of all those families who lost their blood, their children, because this government is corrupt. This is the victory of the united opposition, who raised their voices from Parliament to the streets in the interest of the students. Now it is Mr. Modi’s turn to apologise to our young generation and to take strict action against those who unleashed lathis, batons, and pellet guns on them,” he said.

Congress leader Pawan Khera questioned whether Pradhan’s departure could genuinely be described as a resignation.

“I do not believe that he resigned. I believe he was removed from office by the people of this country. It was the youth of this country who removed him from office. We have repeatedly reiterated our three demands. The first was the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. The second was that accountability must be fixed for the violence that took place on 20thJuly, during which pellet guns were used. The third demand can only be fulfilled when the Prime Minister apologises. Our demand is very clear,” Khera said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also congratulated the protesters, saying, “I congratulate Abhijit Dipke; a united youth defeated ‘arrogant’ government; youth have brought the country out of an atmosphere of fear,” he said.

“It took too long, but truth has triumphed; whoever called them cockroaches, must have realised the power of a cockroach,” says Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant added.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar described the development as a major democratic victory.

“The struggle and determination shown by the youth over 28 consecutive days at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in the NEET paper leak case is truly commendable. In response to the insistent demand of the protesters, the Union Education Minister has finally resigned today. This fight, which stood firmly against oppression without fear and forced the government to accept moral responsibility against injustice, is a symbol of the power of democracy. This is a major victory for the unity of the youth power in the country,” Pawar said.

Biju Janata Dal leader and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, whose state is also Pradhan’s home state, said, “I congratulate the young people of India, especially the Gen Z for this victory. Accountability and sensitivity to public opinion are integral values of a strong democracy. Nobody is above the will of the people. Voices of our people especially of the youth, deserve to be heard. The future of India belongs to the youth. I wish them all the best.”

With the CJP calling off its Jantar Mantar agitation after securing assurances on its principal demands, attention now shifts to the government's promised response on examination reforms and the proposed immunity for protesters. The issue of accountability for the July 20 violence and the demand for an apology from the prime minister, however, remain unresolved.