LIVE | Pralhad Joshi gets additional charge of education ministry; CJP withdraws protest
CJP requests all protesters to retreat, says govt has promised to provide in writing by Tuesday that no action will be taken against CJP or other protesters
In a huge victory for NEET protesters, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as the Union education minister on Saturday (July 25), taking moral responsibility for the NEET question paper leak and the subsequent chaos that broke out in the shape of student's protests in Delhi's Jantar Mantar led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and educationist-activist Sonam Wangchuk, which spread like wildfire across the country.
As the protests intensified, the Union Cabinet approved a draft Bill to ensure stricter punishments — 10 years' jail for paper leaks, fine up to Rs 10 crore — hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement. The draft Bill was approved in a Cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister at the Parliament House complex on Friday.
Also read: The latest developments LIVE
The Bill seeks an amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 and proposes a minimum punishment of five years' imprisonment for individuals involved in paper leaks and/or a fine. It proposes a jail term of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 10 crore in case of organised paper leaks.
Dipke, Wangchuk’s message
As Opposition leaders hailed this “victory of youth power”, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urged people not to make him a hero for Pradhan’s resignation. “Don’t make me a hero because of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The country has been ruined because of making one person a hero...”
Dipke also said Pradhan’s stepping down showed that if people decide against bowing down before the Narendra Modi government, they can take the “resignation of anyone”. He asked people to raise their voice, which he said would keep the rulers “in line”. “Today, they consider themselves as kings while they are there because of us,” Dipke said.
Also read: ‘Don’t make me a hero, country ruined by making one person a hero’: Dipke after Pradhan quits
Later, the CJP held another round of talks with the government over their other two demands, including a compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of students who committed suicide in the wake of the NEET examination paper leak in May and an assurance that no legal measures would be taken against the CJP or any protester. The CJP withdrew its protest with immediate effect "in good faith" after the government agreed to meet all demands. The government has agreed to give it in writing on Tuesday.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving the Centre's written assurances, posted on X: “IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY… direct democracy... straight from the streets. It’s a victory of peace, patience and perseverance. Congratulations CJP, Gen Z of the nation and thank you all citizens for shedding fear and the fear of fear and rising up from every corner of the nation. FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, NOW TO REFORMS.”
Follow live updates of CJP's protest in Delhi, here.
Live Updates
- 25 July 2026 6:56 AM IST
Liquor shops to shut by 8 pm in Delhi over the weekend
Liquor shops in Delhi have been ordered to close by 8 pm until the weekend is over, in view of the student protests, sources said on Friday.
An early closure on Thursday, unannounced, dealt many a rude jolt when they had to turn back with no alcohol.
Liquor shops in the city shut at 10 pm otherwise.
"The shops will now close by 8 pm till the weekend. The decision was taken based on the police inputs flagging the prevailing situation due to the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar," a senior Delhi government officer said.
Protests over the NEET fiasco have rocked Central Delhi over the past few days.
Students, gathered under the banner of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, have been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for presiding over a paper leak, in the wake of which many students committed suicide.
On July 20, a Parliament March called by the CJP turned violent with many protesters and a few police personnel getting injured. PTI
- 25 July 2026 6:55 AM IST
17 Delhi Metro stations to be closed on Saturday
Seventeen metro stations in central Delhi will remain closed on Saturday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.
This would mark the fourth consecutive day the metro stations are shut amid security concerns in view of the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest near Jantar Mantar.
DMRC said the stations will remain closed from 7.30 am on Saturday until further instructions. However, interchange facilities will continue to be available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat stations.
The stations that will remain closed are Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhambha Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh, Shivaji Stadium and Jhandewalan.
The restrictions come as security arrangements remain in place in central Delhi in view of the ongoing CJP protest, which has drawn large gatherings at Jantar Mantar and nearby areas over the past few days.
- 25 July 2026 6:55 AM IST
History will remember your courage, says Amol Palekar in open letter to students
Veteran actor-director Amol Palekar on Friday joined the growing chorus of film personalities backing students protesting alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, condemning the police crackdown on demonstrators and offering legal, medical and financial assistance.
In an open letter to the students, published by newspaper Mid-Day, Palekar said he was writing "not merely in solidarity, but with gratitude", praising the young protesters for carrying forward "the unfinished work of democracy".
"The images of the brutality inflicted upon you have filled us with anguish and anger. A society learns to question itself in its universities. To question those who hold power over your future is not a privilege you seek; it is a democratic responsibility you fulfil," Palekar wrote.
"When questions are answered with batons instead of reason, it is not the students who stand diminished. It is the State," he added.
Calling the students "the first green shoots" of transformation, the actor urged them to remain compassionate and fearless.
"Today you may be called students. Tomorrow you will be known as the generation that chose courage over silence... Long after today's slogans have faded and today's rulers have passed, it is your courage that history will remember," he wrote.
