India education minister resigns after prolonged Jantar Mantar protests

For five weeks, New Delhi witnessed one of the largest demonstrations in recent memory, centered at Jantar Mantar. The sit‑in was organized by the Cockroach Janata Party, a political group founded by 30‑year‑old Abhijeet Dipke. Students from universities across the country joined the protest, maintaining a continuous presence despite repeated attempts by police and security forces to disperse the crowd.

The police crackdown was described as brutal, with dozens of demonstrators injured during the forceful attempts to clear the site. Nevertheless, the protest continued unabated, driven by a collective resolve among India’s Gen Z participants. The sustained pressure ultimately led to the resignation of the education minister, marking a significant political consequence of the movement.

Celebrations erupted on Saturday as the protest concluded, with reporters Navodita Kumari, Jeanne Hutin and Fantine Dantzer of France 24 covering the events. The coverage highlighted the scale of the demonstration and the impact of the students’ activism on national policy.