India Exam Leaks Modi Announces Fast-Track Courts as Student Protests Intensify

India Exam Leaks dominated the political agenda on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of fast-track courts to prosecute those responsible for examination paper leaks amid escalating nationwide student protests.

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In his first public response to days of demonstrations, Modi said protecting the future of young people remained a top priority and vowed strict action against those involved in exam leak scandals.

“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” Modi wrote on X, adding that fast-track courts would ensure swift trials and tougher punishment for offenders.

Fast-track courts are designed to speed up legal proceedings in India’s often slow judicial system. Authorities have previously used them to hear cases involving terrorism, sexual offences, money laundering and crimes committed by public officials.

Despite the announcement, protesters and opposition parties rejected the proposal and renewed their demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. Opposition lawmakers continued disrupting the monsoon session of Parliament for a fourth consecutive day, calling for accountability over the examination scandal.

The protests have emerged as the largest youth-led challenge to Modi since he took office in 2014 and represent the biggest political test of his third term, which began in 2024.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the group leading the protests, argued that the government’s announcement failed to address the root cause of repeated paper leaks.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka questioned why examination papers continued to leak despite existing legal mechanisms, while party founder Abhijeet Dipke said demonstrations would continue until Pradhan stepped down.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also criticised the prime minister, accusing his government of failing to protect the future of India’s youth.

Outside Parliament, opposition lawmakers staged protests demanding the education minister’s resignation, while members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised counter-demonstrations calling for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

Large crowds also gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site. Police said some demonstrators threw stones and plastic bottles, injuring several officers during clashes.

Authorities deployed heavy security across the capital as thousands of protesters returned to the demonstration site on Thursday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation temporarily closed 16 stations in central New Delhi for security reasons, disrupting travel for thousands of commuters.

Facing mounting public pressure, the government has already held talks with CJP leaders and promised to consider their demands while introducing reforms to the country’s examination system.

The movement, which began online as a satirical campaign, has evolved into a nationwide protest reflecting growing frustration among young Indians over exam paper leaks, unemployment and concerns about fairness in public recruitment and education.