NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s education minister stepped down Saturday following weeks of widespread demonstrations demanding his ouster over alleged leaks in some of the nation’s most competitive academic entrance exams, as well as broader concerns about irregularities in the education system.
The resignation represents the first significant concession made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in response to the Cockroach movement, which organized sustained nationwide protests, sit-ins, and hunger strikes calling for the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan.
The movement has emerged as one of the most prominent displays of public opposition to Modi’s government in recent memory. Thousands of protesters continued taking to the streets even after authorities deployed tear gas and batons earlier this week in an attempt to break up crowds marching toward Parliament.
