1 hour ago
The United Nations said it is aware of the student protests in New Delhi over exam paper leaks. Its remarks came after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, sharpening focus on peaceful protest rights and education reforms.
Image used for representational purposes only
Unitednations,UPDATED: Jul 25, 2026 16:28 IST
The United Nations has said it is "aware" of the students' demonstrations in New Delhi and stressed that people must be allowed to protest peacefully without fear. The remarks came as protests over exam paper leaks in India gathered national attention.
Responding to a question on Friday about the youth-led protests in India, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: "We're obviously very much aware of the protests that we've seen in New Delhi." He added, "It is important that people wishing to protest peacefully be allowed to do so without the fear of harassment, the fear of arrest, or the fear of injury."
Dujarric also said it is incumbent on security forces, "there as it is everywhere", to ensure that those rights are protected.
In India, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after weeks of protests over exam paper leaks. The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical collective that turned into a national movement within weeks.
The protest began on June 20 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, with the CJP taking up the issue of the NEET exam paper leak in May, after around 2 million students had to sit for a retest. There were also reports of students dying by suicide in several states. The protesters demanded education reforms and Pradhan's resignation.
On July 20, thousands of protesters marched towards Parliament, defying a police ban and barricades. This led to a crackdown in which several people were injured. The protesters have also sought compensation for the families of NEET candidates who died by suicide and the withdrawal of police cases registered against protesters over the July 20 Parliament march.
The developments brought the protests into wider focus, with the UN underlining the right to peaceful protest even as the agitation in India led to the education minister's resignation and fresh demands from demonstrators.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 25, 2026 16:28 IST
