India protest: How Modi’s refusal to sack education minister fits a pattern

A youth-led protest movement, characterized as the "cockroach" movement, has maintained a sustained presence in India's capital for more than a month, centered on demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation following multiple examination paper leaks. The demonstrations have drawn participation from India's main opposition parties and represent a significant challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's authority during his current term.

Police response to the protests escalated on Monday, when officers deployed batons and tear gas against demonstrators, resulting in severe injuries to more than 100 people. Despite the intensity of public pressure and opposition party involvement, Pradhan has declined to resign and has retained his ministerial position.

This pattern of ministerial retention aligns with Modi's approach throughout his twelve years in power. When a Muslim ironsmith named Mohammad Akhlaq was killed in September 2015 in Uttar Pradesh under circumstances involving cow-related violence, then-Minister of Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma dismissed the incident as "an accident" and refused calls to resign. Sharma subsequently visited the village to pay respects at the funeral of one of the accused lynchers, actions that generated national outrage but did not result in his removal. Sharma remained in Modi's cabinet until the prime minister's reelection in 2019.

Similarly, following the January 2016 death of a doctoral student at the University of Hyderabad, controversies surrounding ministerial responses did not prompt resignations. This pattern contrasts sharply with political practices in other democracies, where ministers routinely resign or face dismissal over controversies. The current education ministry crisis thus reflects a broader pattern in which Modi has consistently resisted pressure to remove ministers despite major scandals.