Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the government will establish fast-track courts to allow for quick trial and heavy punishment in paper leak cases as protests over examination irregularities persist across Delhi.
In a post on X, PM Modi said protecting the welfare and future of the country’s youth is the government’s highest priority. The concerned authorities and officials have been directed to take all necessary steps to establish the proposed fast-track courts.
“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” the Prime Minister said and warned that those who try to harm the future of young people “will not be spared.” The courts are part of a wider system of action to protect students’ interests, he added.
The announcement came in the wake of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The movement is demanding accountability for violations in NEET and has also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The CJP has reiterated its demand for Pradhan’s resignation soon after the announcement of the Prime Minister. In response to PM Modi’s post, the protest movement said: “Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign.”
The protests have intensified in recent weeks, with activist Sonam Wangchuk joining the agitation and starting a hunger strike on June 28. He was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site on July 18 and taken to Safdarjung Hospital. He was later moved to Medanta Hospital after legal proceedings.
The protest movement has also seen increasing tensions between demonstrators and police. Meanwhile, clashes erupted between protesters and police around Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place on Wednesday night, when some of them threw stones and bottles at security forces who were patrolling Tolstoy Marg. ACP Connaught Place Vivek Bhagat was injured and taken to RML Hospital for treatment, officials said.
The clashes occurred as strong security arrangements were in place in the central area of Delhi as the CJP protest continued. More police were deployed to Jantar Mantar and other places in the central zone to maintain law and order.
The proposed fast-track courts are expected to speed up legal proceedings in paper leak cases, which have become a major concern for students and families across the country. The government’s announcement is likely to intensify the debate over examination security, accountability, and the need for stronger systems to prevent question paper leaks.
The decision by the protesting students and CJP supporters does not meet their main political demand. The movement is still calling for the removal of the Union Education Minister, but also demands that accountability be part of the punishment for examination irregularities.
The proposed fast-track court mechanism, however, will still be a central focus of the government’s response to the growing concerns of paper leaks and examination integrity as the protests continue and security remains tight in central Delhi.
