Members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who concluded their talks with the Centre, said that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is "non-negotiable".

Shortly after the talks between the members of CJP and Centre concluded, the CJP said that government has sought time till tomorrow afternoon to consider their demands.

CJP's Saurav Das listed their three conditions that they demanded from the government - 

1. Dharmendra Pradhan must resign

2. Rs 1 crore for NEET suicide victims

3. No FIRs against protesters

The Cabinet has approved the Paper Leak Amendment Bill during the key meeting.

The talks between members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the Centre have concluded.

The talks between the CJP and Centre have begun at the Vithalbhai Patel House in Delhi.

Listing out likely changes, sources said that a provision for setting up fast-track courts to try paper leak cases may be added to the law.

The fast-track courts would be mandated to dispose off a matter and announce punishment within three months.

Sources further said that amendments are also likely to increase both the jail term and monetary penalties for those involved in paper leaks.

Those involved in paper leaks would face punishment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore.

Currently, individuals face 3 to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh if convicted in a paper leak case.

Service providers who do not report a possible offence can be fined up to Rs 1 crore under the current law. In cases of organised crime, the punishment is 5 to 10 years' imprisonment with a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

Following Cabinet approval, the Amendment Bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. READ MORE

The Cabinet meeting on NEET paper leak issue is currently underway.

🔴#BREAKING | Key Cabinet meet on paper leaks begin
NDTV's @Vasudha156 joins @PadmajaJoshi and @VedikaS with more details pic.twitter.com/0RGolrXQpD

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 24, 2026

Nothing short of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation will do, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke underlined for the umpteenth time on Friday ahead of the talks with Centre.

"If the government wants a solution to the protest, it is only the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,"Dipke, the 30-year-old  leader, said.

"Hum manenge nahi na. Isteefe se kam kuch manjoor hi nahi hai (We won't back down, you know. Nothing short of a resignation is acceptable)," Dipke doubled down on his demand. READ MORE HERE

While Delhi Police has denied the use of pellet guns against student demonstrators during the July 20 Jantar Mantar protest, a government hospital has confirmed that a 28-year-old, who was marching with the protesters on the day, endured "pellet wounds" on his right elbow and back.

The march was part of the ongoing agitation for the demand of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak. The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, spearheading the protests, accused the Delhi Police of using excessive force against protesters to prevent them from reaching Parliament.

The patient's case sheet at Safdarjung Hospital details his injuries: "darkened skin around wounds, pellet shards stuck to skin and tenderness on impact sites".

Service Update
New Delhi metro station has been closed till further instructions. No interchange facility shall be available at this station.
Any inconvenience is deeply regretted.

— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) July 24, 2026

Members of CJP and union ministers are holding talks at Constitution Club of India.

Amid ongoing student protests over the NEET paper leaks issue, the central government is planning to further tighten the existing laws against paper leaks and cheating.

A day after the Prime Minister's late-night video message promising more action, sources have told NDTV that the government is planning amendments to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, to give it more teeth.

According to sources, the Cabinet meeting slated for Friday afternoon is likely to approve the proposed amendments.

Listing out likely changes, sources said that a provision for setting up fast-track courts to try paper leak cases may be added to the law.

The leaves of all Delhi police officers have been cancelled until further notice amid the ongoing protests.

Leaves will only be granted in case of emergency, officials said.

There are around 85,000 police personnel in the Capital.

The Delhi High Court has agreed to hear a petition today against the internet shutdown around the Capital's Jantar Mantar - where CJP and students are protesting.

The court will begin hearing around 2:30 pm today.

The members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will hold talks with the government at the Constitution Club of India today. 

#WATCH | Delhi: Saurav Das, Chief Spokesperson, Cockroach Janta Party, says, "... Tomorrow, a discussion has been called for, we are very happy that the government has agreed to our request that it be at a neutral venue. The Constitution Club of India has been chosen..." pic.twitter.com/OOBnq8bqb7

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2026

Along with a cup of soup, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh also offered activist Sonam Wangchuk a list of the government's assurances that convinced him to break his 26-day-long hunger strike.

A video released by Sonam Wangchuk himself after ending his hunger strike showed JP Nadda reading out the government's assurances while standing by Wangchuk's hospital bed.

Sonam Wangchuk had made very specific demands of the government over the last few days - a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in Parliament, an assurance of no legal action against protesting students, and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide in the aftermath of the NEET paper leak.

The members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will hold a press conference today at 11 AM.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who met activist Sonam Wangchuk at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital while he was breaking his fast, said that the Centre has assured a "constructive dialogue".

"Along with Union Minister for Health Sh @JPNadda Ji, met Shri Sonam Wangchuk Ji at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, and held a detailed discussion on students' concerns. Assured a constructive dialogue and positive intervention from the Government, following which Sonam Ji decided to end his fast, he wrote in a post on X.

He added, "Under the leadership of PM Sh @narendramodi Ji, the government remains committed to ensuring justice for students and strict action against anyone who tries to compromise their future."

Along with Union Minister for Health Sh @JPNadda Ji, met Shri Sonam Wangchuk Ji at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, and held a detailed discussion on students’ concerns. Assured a constructive dialogue and positive intervention from the Government, following which Sonam Ji decided to… pic.twitter.com/R8HQxKqfSG

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) July 24, 2026

After more than three weeks without any food, activist Sonam Wangchuk finally ended his hunger strike at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital while being surrounded by union ministers, supporters, medical staff, and family. Wangchuk sat up on his hospital bed and took his first sip from a cup - that was not water - in 26 days after Union Minister JP Nadda read out the government's assurances.

"Hunger tastes better", Wangchuk said in his first words as he took a sip of soup after breaking his fast.

#Watch | "Hunger tastes better" : Activist Sonam Wangchuk as he sips soup to end 26-day fast pic.twitter.com/5oFGu23X7K

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 24, 2026

Hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to follow medical advice and regain his health.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I urge Sonam ji to follow the doctors' advice in his daily routine and regain his old weight as soon as possible. I pray to the Almighty for his good health."

मैं सोनम जी से आग्रह करता हूँ की वो डॉक्टरों की सलाह के अनुसार अपनी दिनचर्या रखें और जल्द से जल्द अपना पुराना वज़न फिर से प्राप्त करें।
मैं प्रभु से प्रार्थना करता हूँ कि सोनम जी स्वस्थ रहें।@Wangchuk66 @GitanjaliAngmo

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2026

 Seventeen metro stations in central Delhi will remain closed on Friday, marking the third consecutive day of closure, in the wake of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said late on Thursday that the stations will remain closed from 7.30 am on Friday until further instructions, citing security reasons.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended his 26-day-long fast last night, said that while it is the end of hunger - it is the beginning of accountability. LIVE UPDATES

Wangchuk, in a video message, said that he received assurances from the government after nearly two days of "bargaining".

"Finally we got it from the government," he said.

The three assurances include: The issue of accountability in the failing examination system will be discussed in the Parliament; families of those who died by suicide in the recent NEET examination paper leak will be given adequate compensation; and there would be no cases registered against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and those participating in the march to the Parliament on July 20.

The video also included a clip of the activist ending his hunger strike, with visuals showing Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh helping Wangchuk to take a sip from a cup. "I'm grateful and happy to break my fast. Thank you," Wangchuk said while holding the hands of Nadda and Singh.

We are relieved and grateful that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike after 26 days.
Thank you, sir, for your extraordinary courage and sacrifice. By putting your own life on the line, you awakened the conscience of an entire nation. Your life is far too precious to this…

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 23, 2026

Just now in the presence of Union Ministers Sh. JP Nadda, Dr. Jitendra Singh and the senior leaders of Apex Body of Leh Ladakh I finally broke my fast after 26 days. Earlier 65 members of parliament from different political parties had visited or signed letters urging me to break… pic.twitter.com/RFCet7Oksy

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 23, 2026

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike after 26 days in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Visuals showed Wangchuk sipping from a cup, with help from the ministers. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, is also seen in the clip.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video statement on Thursday night promised more action would follow on Friday in paper leak cases, amid protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). PM Modi's post on X came after the Delhi High Court announced a fast-track court to hear such cases.

The late night video statement was the second post by PM Modi on the issue in a single day.

"Friends, I know that paper leak is not an ordinary issue. It is very painful for lakhs of students and their families. That is why many steps have been taken in the last two and a half months," PM Modi said.

A delegation from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is set to meet with government ministers on Friday to discuss the ongoing impasse over competitive exam irregularities, as per government sources. 

The high-stakes meeting is scheduled to take place at 12:30 pm, though the official venue for the talks has not yet been disclosed.

The Delhi High Court has officially designated a judge for a fast-track court specifically tasked with handling examination paper leak cases. 

This comes hours after the Prime Minister announced that the government would set up specialised fast-track courts to ensure stringent and rapid punishment for those involved in compromising the future of the nation's youth.

In a major administrative shakeup amid intense student protests at Jantar Mantar, the Centre has removed Education Secretary Vineet Joshi from his post. Senior bureaucrat Naresh Pal Gangwar has been appointed as the new Education Secretary.

“Peace & only peace is my way. While at Jantar Mantar, the protests remain peaceful, I’m pained to learn that elsewhere some antisocial elements are taking advantage of the peaceful protests to provoke violence,” Sonam Wangchuk said in a post on X.

He added, “No matter what the other side does, our response must only be flowers. Please keep this tradition at all costs.”

A day after backing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s protest over paper leaks, actor Salman Khan has urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. He has also offered to send home-cooked meals to Wangchuk and requested other protesting students to return home, pointing out that the prime minister has assured action over the leaks.

"Sonam, it's done, bro. Don't extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there is a need, which I doubt, and eat something. If you want, I will send you food from home," Khan said in an online post.

The Opposition's protests have intensified in the heart of Delhi over exam paper leaks. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress and INDIA bloc MPs have reached the Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg to remember the students who had lost their lives after the NEET paper leak and were injured during protests.

Clad in his iconic white t-shirt and holding the national flag and the Constitution, he held a vigil at the Gandhi Smriti, as other MPs turned on their mobile flashlights as a symbolic candle vigil. 

Mobile internet has been suspended within a 1.5-km radius of Jantar Mantar till midnight, as student protests continue to rage in the Capital. Jantar Mantar is the protest site of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Section 163 has also been imposed outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's residence, with police issuing warnings in the area.

The standoff has also affected business in the capital. All shops and restaurants in Connaught Place were shut after 6.30 PM today, following an advisory from the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) in view of the current situation.

Mobile internet services suspended in a 1.5 km radius of Jantar Mantar from 4 pm to 12 midnight.

Watching India's Gen Z over the past few days has filled me with hope.
They have looked after strangers like family, shared food and water, cleaned and swept their own protest sites, cared for the elderly, sung Jana Gana Mana and songs of hope together, stayed disciplined under…

— Gitanjali J Angmo (@GitanjaliAngmo) July 23, 2026

Security forces briefly blocked the path of the bus carrying Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. However, the route has now been cleared, allowing the alliance MPs to resume their journey toward Gandhi Smriti on 30 January Marg for their planned protest.

Following the conclusion of the opposition meeting at Rahul Gandhi's residence, leaders and MPs have begun exiting the venue. 

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said, "Right now, MPs and leaders of the INDIA alliance are peacefully heading to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg. We go to remember the students we lost - the children driven to take their own lives after the NEET paper leak. And we go to stand with the students who lie injured today - beaten for peacefully demanding justice and accountability. India’s students are not alone. The entire Opposition stands with them and their demands."

“Yesterday, they cut off the internet. Today, they are shutting all shops around the protest. Is this how the national capital of the ‘mother of democracy’ reacts to a protest? Mr Modi is turning Delhi into a war zone. Numerous CRPF battalions are deployed; Delhi Police is still threatening students, repeated tear gas shelling and violence; and the Police is given powers of preventive detention under the NSA (as if the peaceful protesters are terrorists?!) What exactly is planned, for which all these arrangements are being made?” Congress Leader KC Venugopal said on X.

Security has been significantly intensified across the national capital ahead of the opposition's planned demonstration. A bus carrying Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel has arrived outside the residence of Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, where a meeting of opposition MPs is currently taking place.

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday expressed concern over the ongoing student protests in New Delhi, calling the anxieties and concerns of the young protestors regarding the examination system "genuine."

He said it was painful to see young students, including women, face the use of force, warning that such measures risk alienating large sections of society from the national goal of "Viksit Bharat."

It is painful to see young students from different parts of the country assembled for days on the streets of New Delhi. Their anxieties and concerns regarding the examination system are genuine and must be handled with empathy and a desire to find a lasting solution. I fervently…

— Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi (@DrMurliManohar_) July 23, 2026

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, remains stable and alert. According to an official statement from the hospital, a multidisciplinary team of doctors is closely monitoring his health.

Medical authorities confirmed that his condition is unchanged and his vital signs are well within accepted parameters. The hospital further emphasized that all ongoing treatments are being administered in strict accordance with his informed consent.

Leaders from the INDIA alliance, including MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Left parties, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have arrived at Rahul Gandhi's residence to join Congress MPs.

Three buses are currently stationed outside the residence to transport the MPs. Following the meeting, the opposition MPs are likely to march together toward Rajghat for a candlelight march.

#WATCH | Delhi: At Jantar Mantar, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti says, "I believe the entire country is facing its biggest test since 1947, and the youth have joined in. Cows are safer in our country today, not children. Our judiciary says it doesn't have time. If these people don't… pic.twitter.com/s0tTPReNl2

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2026

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Rajghat this evening alongside party MPs to hold a candlelight march, intensifying his demonstration against the alleged use of force on protesting students. This upcoming march follows his sit-in outside the Prime Minister's residence just two days ago.

CJP called for a nationwide protest on Friday in a post on X.

‼️Nationwide Call For Peaceful Protest‼️ pic.twitter.com/D2jte841z2

— Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) July 23, 2026

Congress Lok Sabha MPs have been called to Rahul Gandhi's residence (5, Sunehri Bagh Road) at 6 pm this evening.

All the shops and restaurants in Connaught Place will remain closed after 6.30 PM today. New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) has issued an advisory keeping the current situation in mind.

When she stood in front of that police van, Rhiya Ahir became the most defining image of the ongoing protest. 

That one act transformed a 27-year-old model into a role model for a generation.

Rhiya Ahir was on Wednesday seen blocking a police van in Mumbai that was carrying a group of detained students during demonstrations demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

She refused to move and her defiance led to the release of the detained protesters at Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar area.

"I had gone to join the protest and was waiting for my friends. I could hear the exhilarating slogans at the protest site some distance away. I was moved," she told NDTV.

Click here to read more

Actor Alia Bhatt has joined the growing list of celebrities backing the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party protest in Delhi. In a post on Instagram, she praised their courage and determination in demanding a fair and transparent education system.

She shed light on the protest movement and the resilience shown by the students leading it.

"The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope," she said.

She added, "Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family's hope, a journey of countless sacrifices. They represent not just themselves but everyone who has supported them, while creating a better path for those who will come after them."