Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned after weeks of student-led “Cockroach” protests over alleged exam paper leaks and irregularities in the education system. The move is being seen as the first major concession from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in response to the nationwide demonstrations.

The protests were driven by anger over leaks in some of India’s most competitive entrance exams, especially those linked to medical and higher-education admissions. Students and supporters of the Cockroach movement had held rallies, sit-ins and hunger strikes, demanding accountability and Pradhan’s removal from office.

Pradhan’s resignation comes after weeks of mounting pressure from protesters who argued that the government had failed to protect the integrity of the exam system. The movement had gathered a large following and that the education minister’s exit was widely viewed as a victory for the demonstrators.

The resignation marks a major political setback for Modi’s government and a significant win for the student movement. It also shows how exam leaks and education-related grievances have now become a serious national political issue.