23 July 2026
Modi directs fast-track courts in paper leak case, promises ‘severe’ punishment
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday vowed to give “strict and stringent” punishment to those involved in leaking entrance exam question papers, while announcing fast-track courts for those accused.
“Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared,” Modi said in a post on Twitter without addressing the massive protests that broke out in the capital.
“The concerned authorities and authorities have been directed to take all necessary steps in this regard. This is a continuation of our series of steps to safeguard the interests of students,” he wrote.
Students, political pressure group Cockroach Janata Party and several opposition parties continue to protest against Modi’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in central Delhi and several cities across the country.
Their main demand is Pradhan’s resignation – in exchange for accountability for the education system’s failures, including the medical entrance exam leaked in May, which affected more than 2 million students.
Exam paper leaks have been a regular occurrence in India for a long time. The Modi government passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act in 2024, but failed to protect question papers in the May exams.
The protests are now seen as a growing threat to Modi’s 12-year rule in India.
In response to Modi’s post, the Cockroach Janata Party simply said: “Dharmendra Pradhan should resign.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5HbkR
Welcome to our coverage
Hello and welcome to DW’s India news blog!
I’m Mahima Kapoor reporting from the New Delhi bureau and I’ll be your guide to the day’s biggest headlines from the country.
Student protesters continue to demonstrate against Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and several cities across India. This is despite a tough police crackdown on protesters and growing concerns that violent miscreants are trying to hijack the movement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a fast-track court to punish those responsible for the medical entrance exam question paper leak – which was one of the incidents that mobilized angry students. He said this without directly addressing the protesting students.
Meanwhile, India’s film fraternity is increasingly speaking out on the issue.
Stay tuned to know all this and much more.
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