Pune: Students, activists and members of several organisations gathered at Goodluck Chowk on Saturday to celebrate the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, asserting that the development marked only the beginning of a larger movement for comprehensive reforms in India’s education and examination system.
The celebration was organised in solidarity with the agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, led by environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) headed by Abhijit Dipke. The nationwide campaign drew support from student groups across the country.
Waving the Tricolour and raising slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Vande Mataram”, “Chhatra Ekta Zindabad”, “Yuva Shakti Zindabad”, and “Jab Jab Sarkar Darti Hai, Hindu-Muslim Karti Hai”, participants said the resignation represented only the first step in their campaign for systemic reforms. Protesters also distributed chocolates to mark the occasion before concluding the programme with the national anthem.
The gathering began with tributes to students who had allegedly died by suicide amid academic pressures and controversies surrounding competitive examinations. Protesters observed a moment of silence before reiterating their demand for a transparent, accountable and student-centric education system. Some participants also raised slogans demanding greater electoral transparency, indicating that future campaigns would extend to broader governance issues.
“The minister may have resigned, but the education system itself must change. Ministers will come and go, but unless the system is reformed, students will continue to suffer,” said Nikhil Magar, a research scholar.
{{/usCountry}}“The minister may have resigned, but the education system itself must change. Ministers will come and go, but unless the system is reformed, students will continue to suffer,” said Nikhil Magar, a research scholar.
{{/usCountry}}The education fraternity also welcomed the resignation.
Dhananjay Kulkarni, former senate member, Savitribai Phule Pune University, said, “The government must act decisively against examination mafias and enact a stringent central law to curb malpractice in all public examinations. Only then can the credibility of the examination system be restored.”
Student activist Rahul Sasane said, “The Centre had to ultimately respond to the voice of the country’s youth, especially Gen Z. The resignation marks the beginning of justice for lakhs of students and signals the start of a new phase of reforms in the education sector. We hope this ensures that no student faces such injustice in the future.”
Advocate Kuldeep Ambekar, founder, Student Helping Hands, said, “This is not the victory of an individual but of students across the country who stood united. The resignation is only the first milestone. The government must establish a transparent, accountable and independent mechanism to permanently address long-standing irregularities in the education system so that such incidents are never repeated.”
Rahul Dambale, who participated in the protests, described the resignation as a tribute to students who had lost their lives.
“Their determination and the nationwide support they received ultimately compelled the government to act,” he said.
Student representative Omprakash Adamwad said the movement had never been about political parties or religion but about protecting the integrity of India’s education system.
Organisers said that the agitation would continue until comprehensive reforms were implemented to restore the credibility of India’s examination system.